Madam Secretary- The Collection
by Invaine
Summary: Just a bunch of one shots for the show Madam Secretary! Feel free to message me prompts:)
1. Chapter 1

**PROMPT FROM CASSANDRAMCCORD- you can find her work here- s/12795720/1/Collections-From-The-McCord-Files**

 **What is Henry wasnt allowed to tell Elizabeth about his work in the NSA during 1.07, and she struggles to believe that her husband is not having an affair.**

 **all mistakes are my own- reviews are nice;) If you have propmts, feel free to write them in the comments- I don't have social media, (Tumblr ect) So, the comments is the place to put them. Happy reading.**

From when Daisy told her about the rumour that her husband could be having an affair, she felt off balance. He wouldn't cheat, would he? They're happy? Elizabeth sat in her chair and her mind wondered to the worst scenarios. She hadn't been home properly in almost a week, coming home at early hours of the morning, just to get a few hours sleep before coming back to the office due to everything in India. Maybe if she was home more... they'd barley seen each other for nearly two months. Maybe he found someone who-

No.

Elizabeth stopped herself. She loved and trusted her husband. But... she had to ask him. She had to hear it from him. There was no way Elizabeth couldn't talk to him about this. And so Elizabeth grabbed her coat and told blake she was going home, that there was nothing she could do here due to problems with foreign governments, and she missed her family.

As she opened the front door, she took a breath, her heart was beating so dramatically, she feared he would hear it. As she met his eyes, he smiled, standing up to greet her at the doors of his office, and Elizabeths mind was working overtime, so awkwardly, she hugged him, a quiet "hi" leaving her lips.

"Hey." He said, walking back to his desk, and he looked at her, "Everything okay?" He asked, watching as she paced slowly. She'd planned to ask him calmly, her voice strong, but her mind had other idea's and the words blustered out before she could stop them.

"Are you having an affair?" She asked, her arms in the air. "I heard it. I don't believe it. But I need to hear it from you." Elizabeth said to him, and she watched as he took off his glasses, and looked to the ground. She felt sick. Physically sick.

"Ohh... my god." Elizabth said, taking a breath, her world stopped turning, then continued in slow motion as she looked at him.

"No" Henry said, emotionless. And Elizabeth didn't know how to feel. Angry? Upset? Hurt? All she felt was confusioned.

"Well," She laughed bitterly, "You're going to have to be a lot more convincing. Immediately." She told her, anger finding its way into her.

"Elizabeth..." Her husband said in a way that made her skin itch, her heart ache, and her head spin.

"Wow, okay" Elizabeth said, starting to pace again, and Henry began to speak but she just spoke over him.

"How long?" She asked, "Weeks? Months? Before I was even secretary of state?" Elizabeth asked, her voice gradually getting louder, and Henry thanked god their children weren't home.

"I'm not having an affair." He told her, throwing his glasses onto the table.

"Daisy found Stevie at a bar, drunk, because she saw you with a young woman, who you said was a grad student?" Elizabeth said to him, in a tone that was very clear that she didn't believe him.

"Have you lost your mind?! I'm not having an affair." Henry said in a tone that made her listen, and she looked up to meet his eyes, and relaxed as she saw no evidence he was lying.

"You're not?" Elizabeth asked.

"No." Henry told her, because he wasn't. and she nodded.

"Okay. I believe you." She told him, "But if I find out your lying, Henry I-" Elizabeth went to threaten, but he nodded. Elizabeth knew her husband, he'd never hurt her.

"I know." He said, and wrapped his arms around her as she walked into him, relaxing in his hold. _Just a few more week_ , he thought to himself, _and then you can tell her_.

Her husband was picking the plates of the kitchen table, laughing at something their middle child said, when his phone began to ring. Elizabeth was going to shout him and tell him, before she read the caller ID. Who the hell was Sarah? Elizabeth went to answer, but stopped herself, telling herself that she trusts him, and that its most likely a collgue, or an old friend, and went to walk into the living room where her husband walked off to when his phone pinged.

 _'I need to see you. Its urgent.'_ the text from Sarah read, and Elizabeth went to pick up his phone tp call the number when she heard him start to walk in, and she backed away and opened the fridge.

"Everything okay?" He asked as he walked in, and she shit the fridge door, and smiled, and henry kissed her head.

"Yeah." She said, and began to drink her wine as he picked up his phone, watching as his facial expression read confution, and a hint of worry, then he typed something.

 _'Really? Now?'_ He replied, and his phone pinged not ten seconds later.

 _'Yes. The black SUV four blocks away.'_ And Elizabeth watched as her husband sighed, rubbing a hand over his face and placed his phone in his pocket before grabbing his coat.

"I have to run out, smething about a second opinion on a paper. I wont be long." He said to her, kissing her soflty before basically running out of the house.

"Where's dad going?" Ali asked as she made her way upstairs.

"I don't know, baby." Elizabeth said, and Ali nodded her head slowly, and Elizabeth drank the last of her drink and made her way to bed, refusing to think about what was going on.

Henry walked four blocks and jumped into the SUV, and sighed.

"How urgent is this, exactly? My wife already thinks I'm having an affair and a weird outing at eight pm isn't going to help that." Henry told both Sarah, and Dale, the IT guy.

"He know about the bug." Sarah told him.

"How? Henry asked.

"He works for very high and powerful men, he'll always be on the lookout for them." Dale told him

"Why couldnt this have waited until tomorrow?" Henery asked.

"Because if he knows about the bug, he knows your working or us and we can use that to our advantage. Tomorrow we will meet at our agreed location, we'll wire you, and you will go and offer him something he cant refuse." Sarah told him.

"Which is?" Henry asked.

"His son. The men he works for are very dangourus, and he'll want his son to have protection. You simply going to tell him we can do that, as long as he helps us in retrun." Srah said.

"So your going to use his son agsint him?" Henery raised an eyebrow.

"No. Were just going to make sure he knows whats at stake if he continues dealing with these people. And how we can help as long as we get what we need. That's all. You can go back to your family now." Sarah said, and Henry nodded, opening the door and heading out, when Srah placed a hand his arm.

"For what its worth, I'm sorry that this is causing an issue with you and your wife, bit in a few weeks state will be in on the op, and she'll know the truth. Just hold on a little longer." Sarah said.

"Copy that." He told her, and shut the door, before heading home.

Elizabeth was lay wide awake in bed when she heard the door open. Looking at the time, Elizabeth saw that he'd only been gone half an hour, _maybe it was just a second opinion on a paper._ She thought to herself, and when the bedroom door opened she looked at him, he was a lot more worked up and stressed than he was before he went out, and that worried her.

"Are you okay?" Elizabeth asked him, and he lay next her.

"Yeah, just work." He said, and he wasn't lying, exactly. Damn, he wished he could just tell her.

"You wanna talk about it?" Elizabeth asked softly, and he placed his hand in hers and squeezed it. He really wanted to talk to to her about it. it was so temping to just turn a lamp on and blurt out that hes working for the NSA to bring down a massive drug cartel. But he couldn't, and so he just kissed her, and smiled.

"it's nothing compared to the stress your under. I'm here for you. Always. I love you." Henry told her, hoping to stop her mind from running through reasons to believe hes having an affair. because that hurt him most of all.

"I love you, too." She told him, her body relaxing, and she moved into his embrace and closed her eyes.

The last thing Elizabeth expected at work the next afternoon was Mike B walking into her office.

"Mike, what can I do for you?" Elizabeth asked, placing her pen down.

"It's more like what can I do for you, Elizabeth." Mike said, raising his eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth asked.

"I've heard... rumours. About your husband." Mike said, and the secretary sat up, "I can get it figured out, give me three days. I just need your permission." Mike told her, and she looked down at her rings, and her mind flashed back to the late night phone call, and how he stuck out his morning.

"Do it." She said quietly.

"If its true, if he's having an affair, i'll know in three days. Nothing gets past me. I'll see you on Friday." Mike said, and she nodded, looking to the floor, before sitting back down, twirling her rings around her finger.

"Ma'am. Minister Chen is on the line." Naidne told her, and she nodded, getting her aced game face on, and changing the world.

Mike's hired PI followed Henry, his camera at the ready to see if theres anything going on. On day one,

He watched as Henry met up with a young woman, **snap.**

He watched as they smiled at each other, **snap.**

He watched as they walked into what looked at be either an apartment building, or a shop, **snap.** In the back of the NSA safe house, Dale wired Henry ready for his meeting with the French scholar.

"Do you know what to do?" Sarah asked, and Henry nodded.

"Admit to everything, make him feel as though he can trust us, mention his son, guarantee safety for him if he helps us." Henry told her, and she nodded.

"If he tries anything, our guys will be right in, good luck." Sarah nodded, and Henry nodded back. Heading out.

He waited, and waited, and he watched as Henry walked out over an hour later, zipping up his jacket, **snap.**

The man then sent a text to Mike, _I'll have these printed by this evening, I cant follow him for the rest of his day, he'll get suspicious, and he's alone._

The next day, Mike's hired PI watched as the woman met Henry at Georgetown,

He watched as they walked the campus, talking, **snap.**

He watched as they laughed at something, **snap.**

He watched as he went to head back into the building.

He watched as the womans hand grabbed Henry's, turning him around. **snap.** Sarah let go off his hand and sighed. "You need to be careful, we have him where we want him but he works for people much higher than we thought. I don't want to be the one who tells your wife your dead, so just, watch out. My ass is on the line here." Sarah said, and he nodded, before walking back to campus.

He watched as the woman watched Henry walked away, **snap.** His phone pinged It was Mike. _I just got yesterdays pictures. Henrys a dick. Keep getting the shots. But if you leak them I will hire someone to kill you._

Later that day, the PI watched as they met in a parking lot,

He watched as they spoke, his camera ready.

He watched as he handed her a box, watched as she took it. **snap, snap, snap.** The box contained a bug the French scholar gave him, full of information about the next big drug deal, "You did good, Henry. And you can relax now, state will be let in on the op on Monday." Sarah smiled.

"Finally." Henry laughed, and the two hugged.

He watched as they hugged, **snap.**

He watched as they smiled at each other, **snap.**

He watched as Henry walked away, and into his car. And then he went home to give Mike B what he asked for.

When Friday came, Elizabeth was to distrcted, awight Mike B that she didn't even notice her staff walk in.

"Ma'am. About the Iran deal." Nadine said, and Elizabeth looked up

"It seems China have some things to say." Daisy said, and went to pass her the ipad when Mike walked in.

"Everybody out." He said, his voice deep and serious.

"Were in the middle of a meeting, you're the one innturup-" Matt started.

"Everyone out before I say things i'll regert." Mike B said,and the staff all got up and left, and once he heard the door shut, he looked at Elizabeth, and then to the griund, and in that moment she wished the floor would open up and swallow her.

"So its true." Elizabeth said, holding herself together.

"It looks that way, although there really is no proof, theyre very good at hiding. We couldn't even find her online." Mike said, holding a file.

"Are they pictures?" Elizaeth asked, and Mike nooded. "Let me see." She told him, and he passed her the file.

In the file was everthing, from pictures of them both entering a building, and himleaving over an hour later, what she could only imagine is lunch dates at Georgetown, the both of them laughing, them holding hnads, them in a coffee shop. Everything, and Elizabeth really thought she was about to puke. How could he do this? She trusted him with her heart... with her life. Did these last two decades mean nothing to him? Did she mean nothing to him?

"Do you know how long...?" Elizabeth question faded, but he understood.

"According to my source it started about five or six months ago." Mike told her.

"A month after I become secretary of state." She laughed bitterly, a month, that was all it took for him to give up on her. On them. On their family.

"I'm sorry." Was al Mike could think to say, and she nodded, refusing to cry, and mike went to speak when her doors barged open and Russell walked in.

"Bess come on your needed in the situation room, weve been ringing for ten minutes." Russell told her, she didn't even hear her phone, her eyes fixed on the pictures in front of her.

"Bess? Cant you hear me? We need to go!" Russell rushed at her.

"Russell.. I wouldn't." Mike said.

"Get out." She spoke sharply, and the men turned to her.

"Exucse me." Russell spat.

"Russell, get out of my office. Tell POTUS I have a family emergency." Elizabeth said, placing all the photos back into the file.

"Is everthing okay?" He asked, and Elizabeth shook her head, her eyes filling.

"Will you both just please leave." She said in a voice none of the men recognised, it was small, weak. So they did, once in the lobby Russell looked at mike.

"Whats going on?" Rusell asked, already on the phone to POTUS.

"Like she said, family emergency." And he got into the elevator, and Russell looked back, before doing the same.

Back in her office, Elizabeth placed a hand to her mouth to muffle a sob that choked out, tears falling freely as she thought about everything that was happening. She needed to go home, she needed to yell at him, throw things, cry, drink, and then do some more yelling. So she took a deep breath, grabbed her coat, bag and the file, and made her way out of her office, meeting no ones eye as she walked through the lobby, and then outside and into her motorcade.

Back at home, Henry was sat on the couch, in a mind of his own. He was so glad he no longer had to lie to his wife, that they could finally talk about his day, and she could stop feeling so guilty for thinking hes cheating, and he can stop hating himself for lieing to her.

the bang of the front door shutting pulled him from his thoughts, the soft sound of slow walking heels hitting the floor, along with a bag and a coat, and he stood and met her in the hall way. She'd been crying. Her eyes were puffy, her cheeks were red, and she was angry, at him, the look in her eyes said it all.

"Babe?" Henry said, and she looked at him, anger, hurt, and betrayal written all over her face, and his eyes went to the file in her hand.

"Babe? Are you okay?" Henry asked her, walking towards her but she held a hand out and backed a step.

"Don't come near me." Elizabeth spat at him, and he stopped.

"Elizabeth, whats wrong?" Henry asked her.

"You're a liar, that's what wrong." Elizabeth said to him,and walked into the kitchen and Henry didn't know what to think. What the hell was in that file? Following her, he gently touched her wrist to stop her from walking and she yanked away from his touch.

"Don't you dare-" Elizabeth began to yell, when the kids came down the stairs.

"You guys okay?" Stevie asked.

"Stevie will you please take ali and Jason out for dinner." Henry said.

"I thought we were all making dinner tonight?" Ali asked.

"Stevie, please." Henry said, and the look his eye told her it was serious, and she nodded, grabbing her keys, and henry waited until he heard the door shut.

"What the hell is going on?" Henry asked her, and she looked at him with tears down her face.

"You tell me." She said, pushing the file against his chest and heading upstairs. Opening the file, Henry's heart dropped. _No._ He thought to himself, _These pictures look so suspicious._ He said to himself, and he shook his head. There was pictures from every meeting he and his handler had in the last three weeks. From meetings in coffee shops, to just walks in Georgetown and she gave him new information, there was a picture of her grabbing his hand, he didn't even remember that. Henry quickly grabbed the pictures and ran up the stairs, finding Elizabeth throwing his clothes into a suitcase, tears falling down her face, and as he entered the bedroom she looked at him.

"Elizabeth-" He said, his voice small, because he couldn't stand how much pain he had caused the woman he loves by not being able to tell her the truth.

"How could you?" She asked him, her voice filled with anger and hurt.

"Please, listen to me." Henry said to her, his voice soft, and she looked at him.

"What could you possibly say? I asked you! Weeks ago I asked you if you were having an affair and you lied straight to my face." Elizabeth said to him, and he closed his eyes.

"I didn't lie." Henry told her, and she laughed, with a sob that he caught, and his heart broke. But it was clear she ignored what he said.

"How long?" Elizabeth asked him, and he shook his head "How long have you been sleeping with another woman?" Elizabeth asked him again, anger brewing in her voice.

"Elizabeth, I'm not sleeping with another woman! I'm not having an affair!" Henry told her, and she ran her hands through her hair, before wiping her cheeks and taking a deep breath, and swallowed her words when his phone rang.

"Is that her?" She asked, and Henry didn't look at her. "Answer it." Elizabeth told him, but he ignored the call. His handler can wait, and when he looked up he found his wife pacing the floor.

"Elizabeth, please. I need you to listen to me." Henry asked of her, and she laughed.

"Why? So you can tell me some lies?" She asked, her voice hallow and broke.

"I'm not, have not, and will never, cheat on you Elizabeth." Henry told her, his voice serious, and soft, and she looked at her husband, fresh tears falling from her eye, watching as he walked closer to her, she wanted nothing more than to believe him, but he wont tell her who she is, and the pictures, they tell another story, and so she held a hand up, stopping him from walking any closer, and she met his eyes.

"Then who is she?" She asked him, and his silence proved her point. "If you're having an affair just tell me." Elizabeth said to him, defeated. "It's been running around my brain for almost a month, you're sneaking off in the mornings, or you're getting home later, you keep taking calls into other rooms. Just... tell me."

"I can't." He said quietly, and Elizabeth didn't know what to make of that comment.

"Can't or wont?" Elizabeth snapped, and they stood in silence for what felt like years, before his phone rang once again, he looked at it and saw his handlers name popup, and once it stopped ringing he saw two messages.

' _Op goes deeper than we thought, the asset is in the interrogation room. We need you here.'_ Is what one read, from Sarah.

 _'We have this son in our custody, but its no use. He'll only speak to you. Call me back. ASAP.'_ Is what the other one said, again, from Sarah, and Henry sighed, worry written all over his face, along with stress, and Elizabeth thought she was going to actually throw up.

"Go. I know its her, so just go, if that's were you'd rather be then leave." Elizabeth said to him, and he looked at her.

"I'm staying, because I need you to believe me." Henry told her, but Elizabeth disregarded his words.

"I always thought you'd be the one person who'd never hurt me... turns out you're the one that hurt me the most." Elizabeth told him ,meeting his eye, before walking out of the bedroom, Henry following behind.

"Elizabeth..." Henry said, and she stopped walking when she reached the kitchen, and turned the face him.

"What? I don't want any more lies, Henry. Just tell me the truth or get out." Elizabeth told him.

"I cant tell you!" Henry said to her, and she shook her head, upset, hurt and stress all piling onto her.

"Why the hell not?!" Elizabeth shouted.

"Because I- I can't." Henry said, his voice softer, yet interrupted by yet another call.

"Will you just answer the damn phone and tell your mistress you'll see her soon. Because you're leaving." Elizabeth told him, powerfully, and walked back up the stairs.

"What." Henry snapped as he answered the phone.

"Hello to you to, Dr McCord. Did you get my messages? We need you here." Sarah told him.

"I cant right now," Henry said.

"Why?" His handler asked.

"I just... I cant." Henry told her.

"If this is about your wife then tell her, I give you permission to declassify the case to the secretary, but you need to get here!" She yelled, and the phone went dead, and Henry ran up the stairs, once again met with Elizabeth as he threw is clothes into a bag.

"I'll let you tell the kids that your a massive cheater." Elizabeth said to him, and he walked towards her, grabbing her arms gently, and making her look at him.

"Let go of me." She told him, not meeting his eyes.

"Let me explain." Henry asked, and she met his eyes, and he saw all the hurt he'd caused and he hated himself.

"What could you possibly say to make this better?" Elizabeth said to him, her arms relaxing in his gentle hold.

"I'm not having an affair." Henry told her.

"You've said that, I don't believe you, I did, until you couldn't tell me why your walking around and holding hands and going on lunch dates with another woman, for the last five months." Elizabeth said him.

"I'm working for the NSA." He told her truthfully, and she released a breath, looking at him, her legs almost giving out in relief.

"What?" She asked, unsure of how to feel.

"I'm working for the NSA, the woman in the photo is my handler." Henry told her, letting go of her arms.

"Your handler?" Elizabeth asked, and he nodded, holding up the message he got before about their asset being in the interrogation, and she looked back at her husband.

"The NSA?" Elizabeth asked, and he nodded, and he watched as relief filled her features.

"I'm so sorry for keeping it from you but I wasn't allowed to talk about it, and then you thought I was having an affair and I'm just... I'm sorry." Henry told her.

"I'm sorry too. I should have trusted you. I should have believed you." Elizabeth said, but Henry shook his head.

"I would have thought the same if the situation was reversed." Henry told her, and Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her husband, her head rested into his neck, and he wrapped himself around her, holding her close, and she closed her eyes, and as they parted he kissed her, cupping her face softy, and then she rested her forehead on his.

"I love you." She told him.

"I love you too, always." Henry told her, and kissed her lips again.

She knew then that she trusted him with her whole heart, and that if anything was to come between them, they'd fight through it together. And that this whole situation has made them that little bit stronger, because there bond is one that can not be broken.


	2. Chapter 2

**prompt from 'guest' -Henry and Elizabeth have grown very far apart because of the strain caused by Dmitri. Elizabeth has a bad day and Henry ignores her. Then later he catches her sniffling not noticing him come in, and feels heartbroken that he caused this.**

 **Hope I do your idea justice.**

 **ANOTHER THING! GUYS! I just want to say thank you to all you lovely people who commented! I teared up! I read them all, and they really do brighten my day, so thank you so much. I can't express my gratitude, damn I was there was a reply button! Anyway, onto the story, Happy Reading!**

They'd been arguing over the same topic for over two weeks, unable to even hold a conversation without it leading to a screaming match, and over the last few days, they'd just stopped talking completely, and what hurt Elizabeth the most was the fact that it was easier that way. She could feel her husband drifting away from her, coming home later, going to work earlier. He'd not been able to keep his hands off her their entire marriage, and now, he wouldn't even look at her. She missed him. His touch. His scent. Him. Elizabeth knew she'd be stupid to believe today would be any different, she knew he needed time, what she did...hurt him, and she reminded him of his failure, he'd said so himself... however, like always, she found herself hoping that maybe today she'd roll over and he'd hold her like he used to, but she rolled over to find his side empty, telling her once again he'd left early for a run to avoid her. Elizabeth knew she'd be an idiot to believe that she'd go down stairs and he'd make little touches, catch her lips in a quick kiss, even hug her, and she was right. He looked at her, looked away, and as they spoke to their children, not once did their eyes meet, or their hands briefly touch the way they used to. She wished she could go back and change what she did, she just wanted her husband back, yet she found herself worrying if this was it for them. She worried that the next time they spoke, he'd talk about lawyers, and divorce, and how he couldn't go on like this, and so yes, Elizabeth McCord preferred the silence, because if he wasn't speaking to her, he wasn't telling her he was leaving.  
Elizabeth watched as her husband left, a small goodbye from his lips before heading through the door.

"Are you and dad ok?" Ali asked her, and Elizabeth nodded.

"Of course, Noodle." She told her daughter, a fake smile on her face and Allison nodded, before hopping of her stool and following the sound of Stevie's voice as she called them to hurry up as she was taking her and Jason to school.

At work, Elizabeth was having the worst day imaginable, not only has a deal with Iran fell though, Chinese Minster, Chen, was on her back about the deal with the US, there was some kind of problem with the deal she and the president had made with Russia, and all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep for a year. Everything was getting too much, the problems at work, the problems at home, the worry, the stress. She took a deep breath and sat back, closing her eyes, before Daisy walked into her office.

"Sorry to disturb, Ma'am. But there's something you need to see." Daisy said, and Elizabeth nodded, taking the iPad from Daisy gracefully and reading the headline: _Iraq president threatens Iran with an attack due to lack of respect on their recent deal._ And Elizabeth sighed.

"Really?" She said to no one in particular, and rubbed her eyes.

"Iran have started planning for retaliation, claiming they've done nothing to provoke this kind of threat, and that whatever deals were being made are no loner in negotiation." Daisy informs her.

"Thanks, Daisy." Elizabeth nodded, and she left the room as Elizabeth's phone rang.

"You're needed at the white house, Ma'am." Blake told her as he walked into her office, and she nodded, standing.

"Of course they do." She said quietly, sighing as she walked out of the room.

By late afternoon, everything went from bad to worse, Iran and Iraq were heading down a path of war, China were re-thinking their peace deal, and Russia refused to cooperate with the US government. She was sat in her office, just finishing a chat with Minister Chen, and sighed in relief when he ended the call with, 'Negations will continue, Thank you, Madam Secretary." and she leaned back in her chair, remembering she unfortunately, still had to deal with Iran and Iraq, and that was getting nowhere. The amount of stress she felt made her want to break down, why was nothing easy?

"Russia is on the line, Ma'am." Blake told her, and she nodded, before accepting the call.

"Well that was useless." Elizabeth said to Nadine as she ended the call with Russia.

"We're getting somewhere. Granted, slowly, but, progress is being made." She told her boss, hoping to show her a positive side.

"This day sucks." Elizabeth laughed, rubbing a hand over her face.

"It's almost over, Ma'am." Nadine joked back, and Elizabeth smiled at her chief of staff as she left the room, before looking at the time. 8:30pm. She could be curled up in bed in an hour, she'd still be thinking about how to solve the worlds problems, but, she'd be in bed. She just wished the hour would pass quicker, she couldn't take anymore bad news, and that's went Jay walked in.

"Turns out Russia don't want a peace deal after all, that whatever Maria was bribed with will not effect their decision to take over Ukraine, and that the US are not show no involvement." Her policy advicer shared, and Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Why are they so difficult..." Elizabeth though aloud.

"There very hell-bent on the attack on Ukraine. It could happen at anytime." Jay told her, and she nodded, and Jay took his leave, knowing when she was in no mood for company.  
Elizabeth hates this day. Hates.

When Elizabeth arrives home, she surprised to find Henry on the couch, for weeks he'd gone to bed before she came home so he didn't have to speak to her, so as she walked in, she looked at him.

"You're up late." Elizabeth said, walking passed him to get to the kitchen.

"Couldn't sleep." He replied, his eyes fixed on the tv, not even showing any sign of wanting to speak to her, and so she didn't reply. She just grabbed a plate of dinner left out for placed it in the microwave, and waited for it to heat up. Her eye's welling up to the lack of acknowledgement of her presence, an she suddenly found herself with no appetite. From the day she's had, and coming home to a husband who wont even look at her, she just wants it over, and so she turns off the microwave and heads to bed, throwing on a jumper and loose pants before laying in bed, and she lets her tears fall freely, rolling onto her side.

He'd waited up for her, he got worried when it hit nine thirty and she wasn't home, and so he sat on the couch and waited.  
When she walked in, she'd tried to talk to him, but he was just still so... urgh. He hated himself for not being able to look at her, but he'd failed someone who life had depended on him, and he didn't think he'd ever be able to forgive himself for that, which made it hard for him to forgive her, he didn't know why. When he heard her walk up the stairs, he watched her, and noticed how exhausted she looked. He wanted nothing more to hold her in his arms, but he couldn't. He didn't understand why he felt this way, and maybe they should talk about it at some point, but he wasn't ready for where it might lead, and so he turned his attention back to the television.

Henry took himself to bed no longer than ten minuets later, and opened their bedroom door silently, looking at his wife who looked at though she was asleep, and as he went to go into the bathroom who heard a quite sniffle, that's when he realised she was crying. And his heart dropped, was she okay?

"Elizabeth? Henry said, and he watched her body tense, and he walked over to her side of the bed after turning the light on, and she quickly wiped her tears, closing her eyes.

"I'm okay." She told him, her voice weak and quiet.

"You're crying. What's happened?" He asked her, and she shook her head, sitting up before getting put of bed.

"Nothing. I'm fine." She told him, and walked into the bathroom, but he followed straight after her. Had he caused this?

"Babe, you're not okay. You're upset." Henry said, watching as she walked out of the bathroom after grabbing some tissue.

"Honestly, its nothing. Don't worry about it" Elizabeth told him, and he stopped her from walking.

"What? Of course I'm going to worry about it, you're hurt. Talk to me.." Henry told her, and she looked at him, and that's when he noticed how drained she looked.

"Talk to you?" Elizabeth questioned. "Henry you've barley spoke to me in nearly a month what am I supposed to talk to you about?" Elizabeth asked, and his heart broke.

"Babe -." Henry began.

"I don't know what's happening to us, henry. And it scares me." Elizabeth said to him, "I don't want to loose you but I cant live like this. I can't.." She told him, looking down.

"I know." She said to him, and she looked up once again. "I want to fix us... this. I love you so much, and I hate that you're crying because of me." Henry told her, wiping her tears softly.

"Don't do that." Elizabeth spoke quietly, "Don't tell me you want to fix it and then go back to not talking to me. I can't do this, anymore Henry. Either talk to me, and work on this, or... or just leave." Elizabeth said o him, fresh tears falling down her face. "If I remind you of what happened to the point where you cant even look at me then just go, but I need to know where you stand." Elizabeth told him, and Henry felt his heart break in his chest.

"I'm not leaving. I love you, I'm so sorry for what I've put you through, for what I said. I don't want to loose you, ever. I stand with you, Elizabeth. Forever," He told her, and he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, and she wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry for making you believe I didn't want you, or make you feel as though you aren't worth the fight because you are." He told her, and kissed her.

"We can fix this." Henry promised, and she nodded, before getting back in bed, and her bod relaxed as she lay in his arms.

When Elizabeth woke up, she found herself once again hoping her husband would be there, and when she rolled over, a smile graced her lips, because there he was, on his side of the bed, pulling her closer to him.


	3. Chapter 3

**This prompt is from Ritachris01.**

 **Elizabeth notices how close Henry and Jane Fellows become when investigating HS, and irrationally gets jealous. I don't feel as though this is the best I could have done, but I tried this promt many different ways and this was the only one that seemed to work. Hope you like it.**

There was only a hand full on times where Elizabeth could say she felt jealous when Henry worked with other women, because she trusted him completely. He was as faithful to her, as she was to him. But, she has found herself jealous quite a few times. Such as when Stevie and Ali were two and six, and Henry found himself a, what she called, 'cult following', of mothers at the park who took quite an interest in him, asking him for coffee, as friends of course, but Elizabeth knew better than to believe that's all they wanted. She knew then that she was being ridiculous, that she had no reason to be jealous, but part of her brain kept telling her, 'what happens when you have to leave the country for work?', but she pushed the thoughts away, refusing to even think that her husband would do such a thing, and he told her that himself when he joked about her jealousy, telling her he thought it was cute before giving her a quick kiss, and telling her she was all he needed, and that's when she knew that woman could fall all over her husband any day, but he wouldn't reciprocate, because to him, it was always her, and to her, it was always him.

Yet still, years later, she still found herself getting jealous sometimes, and this time was no different.

The first time she felt a pang of jealousy about Jane and Henry, was when she saw how close the two of them stood next to each other. Something told Elizabeth by the way her husband was stood that he was oblivious to the closeness, and she knew she was probably being ridiculous, because the room they were in was quite small, and there wasn't that much space to stand, but she noticed how Jane gently placed a hand on Henry's harm, pointing at something in the screen, and it bothered her, she knew it shouldn't, but it did. Looking away from them, she turned her eyes back to the screen, listening as the DIA agent told her, The President and Russell about Murphey Stations plan to find HS's third wife, in hopes to lead them to him, and stop his next attack. Elizabeth turned her eye's to Henry on the opposite side, who was looking at her, and a small smirk formed on his face as she did, and she raised an eyebrow back, before they both looked at Conrad as he spoke. Elizabeth couldn't help but turn again and look at Jane, who was leaning her side against what she presumed was her desk in the stations office, and quickly looked away when she looked in her direction, keeping her eyes swiftly on the president, pressing her lips together, and then followed both him and Russell out of the room, a small 'thanks' as Russell held the door for her.

"I don't think your wife likes me." Jane laughed, and Henry rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure she does." He laughed in reply, and Jane shrugged.

"If looks could kill I'd be six feet under." Jane told him, a small joking smile on her lips, and he threw a pen at her, and they laughed. The two of them had become quite good friends. After everything that happened with Dimitri, and his work for the DIA over the last year, they'd really clicked. He could see a real friendship developing with her, making the whole mission a lot easier.

he next time Elizabeth saw Jane, she and Henry seemed to be in a very heated discussion in the White House hall way, and she watched for a far as Jane rubbed her hand down Henry's arm, and Elizabeth's blood boiled. Why was she touching her husband? When Jane walked away, Elizabeth picked up her speed and met Henry half way.

"Everything okay?" She asked her husband, and he sighed, but nodded.

"Yeah, just..." Henry began, but stopped talking, but soon continued after Elizabeth nodded. "Something about Dimitris sister being held in Russian custody bothers us and so we were trying to come up with a plan but we don't seem to be getting anywhere," Henry told her, and Elizabeth took a deep breath, and took his hand in hers.

"I'm sorry." Was all she could think to say, she t=knew the whole Dimitri topic was still raw, and so she didn't want to overstep and send them right back to here they were just six months ago.

"What are you sorry for, this isn't your fault." Henry smiled, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear, and she leaned into his touch, and she was just about to ask if he wanted to grab lunch when Jane came walking towards them, placing a oft hand on Henry's back.

"There's some new intel on HS's third wife." She told him, and he nodded.

"I'll be right in." He told her with a smile, and looked back to Elizabeth as the agent walked into their office.

"I have to go. I'll see you later." He told his wife, kissing her quickly before heading into the office and Elizabeth wondered out of the hall, and headed back to the State Department.

Back in her office, all Elizabeth could think about was Jane, and how comfortable she was touching henry, first it was a small hand on his arm, then a rub, then a hand on his back, what was her game? She knew Henry. She knew he'd never do anything, and she trusted that, but she mots certainly did not trust Jane, not one bit. Elizabeth also found herself a little hurt that Henry didn't come to her with his worries for Talia, maybe she could have helped. _Or maybe he just didn't want to come to you_ a voice in her head told her, and that when Blake walked in, and thank god he did, she was about to go down a very dark route.

"Ma'am. Russell Jackson called and said to tell you that Murphey Station have something, and that you're needed at the White House." Blake told her, and she nodded, standing.

"Thanks, Blake." She said as she walked through her office door, and headed towards the elevator, her mind abandoning the horror thoughts from before.

Arriving at the Station Office, Elizabeth met up with Russell Jackson and headed in together, both their eyes on Henry and Jane as she laughed loudly at something, stopping abputpy as they walked in, placing hair behind her ears nervously and Henry pierced his lips together.

"Something funny?" Russell asked, and Henry coughed to cover a laugh.

"No, sir." Jane said, a laugh hinted in her voice, and she cleared her throat before telling them the plan.

"I have an old buddy in the Islamabad system, so I'll talk to him about the best why to get in and out undetected." Jane told the,.

"An old buddy..." Henry teased, and him and Jose chuckled as she threw a dirty look Henry's way.

"Shut up." She joked back, lobbing the pen he'd threw at her that morning back at him, and carried on with the information.

Elizabeth watched the exchange between them, and her body filled with jealously. She had no reason to be jealous. They were just friends. He has many female friends, and none of them bothered her like this does. When did they get some comfortable with each other? After listening to Jane's plan, and agreeing with Russell to go along with it, Elizabeth looked at her husband, looking away with an eye roll as he winked at her playfully, and followed Russell out of the room.

"Henry and Jane seem close." Russell pointed out to her, and Elizabeth faced him.

"What?" She asked, a laugh, "Their friends, no big deal." She told him, sounding a lot less jealous than she was.

"I'm just saying, the long nights, the eventual trip to Islam, watch out." Russell said, and threw her a smirk to tell her he was joking, before walking off. But Elizabeth was not laughing, not one bit. The green eyed monster in her was ugly, and petty, and was not a side anyone wanted to be on, and she hated that part of her. The part of her that made her feel like she shouldn't trust Henry, that maybe she wasn't enough for him, that he wanted more, and she hated that part of her. Hated. pushing it all to the side, and walked away from the office, and headed home for the day. She'd speak to Henry tonight. That what she'd do.

It was late when Henry got home, and he didn't expect anyone to be up, so he quietly placed his coat and shoes in a cupboard, and placed his briefcase down, and almost jumped when he saw Elizabeth sat in the office.

"You're home late." She said, standing up to meet him in the hall.

"Yeah, we were planning the last little bit of finding the third wife. I missed you." He told her, wrapping his arms around her, and she fell into him, resting her face into his nek, closing her eyes.

"We, being you and Jane?" She asked, and he felt him chuckle, relaxing her a little that he didn't tense up like he had something to hide. Which she knew he wouldn't.

"And Jose." He told her as they pulled away from the hug.

"Jane seems... nice." Elizabeth hesitated.

"She is." He said, walking into the kitchen, "She thinks you don't li her." Henry told her with a raised eyebrow, and she moved her head to the side.

"It's not that I don't like her, I just wish she.. wasn't so touchy feely." Elizabeth said, her face turning into a frown, and Henry looked at her.

"Jealous are we?" Henry asked, walking to where she stood near the entrance to the kitchen, and she looked down.

"Maybe a little." She spoke quietly, holding her finger and thumb not even an inch apart, and Henry lifted her chin up with his thumb and kissed her.

"Don't be. You're all I want. You know what." He said, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I know that... I do." Elizabeth told him, embarrassed.

"Don't be embarrassed. Everyone gets jealous." Henry said, kissing her lips.

"I hate being jealous. Makes me feel tense and possessive." Elizabeth told him, and he nodded.

"There's no reason to be jealous babe, we're forever. I don't need anyone else. or want anyone else." Henry told her.

"Ditto." She replied, and he smiled, placing another kiss on her lips.

They were forever, and the green eyed monster would have to stay deep in its cage.


	4. Chapter 4

**Prompt from Guest- Elizabeth has been pushing Henry away for weeks, and now that she really needs him she's worried he won't even take her call.**

 **I decided to take this back to the college days, if someone would like this prompt but in current years, let me know! :)**

Elizabeth sat in her college dorm. Her room mate was out for the night, and normally, this meant she would sneak in the senior she'd been dating for nearly a year, but she found herself alone, in bed, all the lights off, numb. Numb because the three year anniversary of her parents death was coming up, and it made her chest ache, not just because she missed them more than anything, but because now that she was in a relationship that she could see lasting, she realised her father would never walked her down the isle, and her mother wouldn't be there to help her with her pregnancy if she decided children were in her future, her parents would never even meet her children, they'd never meet Henry. And the whole thing just hurt her. She couldn't imagine doing any of that without them, that why she's always told herself never to get close to anyone, but Henry was different. He'd loved her, cared for her, protected her and made her feel safe in a way she hasn't felt since the night she went home without her parents. So she did the one thing she did best, and she pushed him away, or, was attempting to. Elizabeth was so grateful that he hadn't given up on her, because she was working up to telling him about her parents, she just hadn't had the strength yet. Whenever he brought them up in the beginning of their relationship, she'd shut down, refuse to answer questions and change the subject, and eventually, out of respect for her, he'd stop asking, telling her to tell him about them when she's ready, that there was no rush, and that he was here for her whenever the time came. So why hadn't she just told him? The anniversary was in a week, it was an opportunity to tell him, for him to learn about them, about her childhood. But, here she lay, in the dark, on her bed, crying. Alone.

Henry noticed Elizabeth began to push away weeks ago, from simple things like, 'I cant make it tonight' or, ignoring his calls, avoiding him around campus. He just wished he knew why. Had he done something to upset her? Was she angry at him? He didn't know. He also didn't want to bother her if she didn't want to see him, and so he decided to leave her to be by herself, he knew she'd tell him what was bothering her when the time was right, he knew better than to push her, maybe it was about her parents, she'd avoided the topic since the start. Where they back? Did they hurt her? His mind buzzed with unanswered questions as he sat in his apartment finding a paper going towards his finals, but his mind could not stop ringing with worry for Elizabeth, he kept telling herself she was adult, that she could cope with whatever it was she was going through alone if that's what she wanted, even though he would be there for her if she asked him in a heartbeat. All he wanted to know is that she was safe, that was the worst part in all of it. Henry had no idea is the woman he loved was safe, because she refused to talk to him about whatever was bothering her. So he sat back, looked into his books and began the last part of his paper, telling himself she'll speak to him when she's ready.

The next time he saw Elizabeth, it had been two day's since she'd even spoken to him. He saw her walking out of the UVA main entrance, and something didn't feel right. When he'd seen her in the past, she'd have a massive smile on her face, her eyes would be bright, and she'd be laughing at something someone she was with said, but today, she looked... heartbroken. Her eyes were no longer the bright ones he loved to look into, but more dark, hidden, and her smile was nowhere to be seen, instead it was a neutral expression, and her head was down, like she didn't want to be seen. What had happened to her? Henry decided to follow her out, and as they reached outside, he called her name, watched as she turned around, and caught up with her.

"Hey. I haven't seen you in awhile. Are you okay?" He asked her, and she couldn't even meet his eye.

"I'm fine." She said in a small voice, but he knew her better than to believe that, and he gently placed a finger under her chin and lifted her head and her eyes met him.

"You're not fine, Elizabeth. Talk to me." Henry said to her softly, and she shook her head.

"I'm fine, really. I just- I have to go." Elizabeth said, because she knew if she stood here any longer, the tears she's been avoiding for almost three days would break and she'd crumble. And she couldn't crumble. Not here, and she pulled away from him, before walking back to her dorm, leaving a confused and worried Henry to watch her go.

He also saw her the next day, walking around the college, and he thought about talking to her, but he decided not to, knowing that if he pushed any more, she might pull away even harder, and so he put his head down, and carried on walking to his next lecture.  
Elizabeth saw him look at her, and she took a breath, and she watched him place her head down and walk in the other direction, and she looked down, crossing her arms around herself tighter, and headed out of the college, and back to her dorm. Had it given up on her? She knew it would happen eventually, she'd been ignoring him for over a week, pushing him away, refusing to tell him what was bothering her, and as the day neared, she became more and more unavailable, so she understood that he'd stopped asking, she didn't even blame him, how could she blame him? it was her fault they were in this place anyway.

The anniversary came quick, and Elizabeth couldn't even force herself to get out of bed, her mind going back to the words she heard as she arrived at the hospital. She was sixteen. No sixteen year old girl should hear what she heard. _'I'm very sorry, but your parents were in a crash, and have sadly passed away.'_ She remembered not being able to take it in, not understand how they were gone. They just went out for a milkshake, how are they dead? She remembers Will running into her arms, clinging onto her crying, he was in the car, he could have died to and then she would have been alone, so she was grateful for that, but only that. This day will haunt her forever, she knew that then, an=she knows that now. Expect this year she didn't have to deal with it alone. She had someone who loved her, someone who she loved, yet, she hadn't even told him her parents were dead, he was completely unaware of the dark past that followed her around. He should be aware. She needs him. She needs him, especially today. And so Elizabeth sat up, and grabbed the landline in her dorm, and looked at it. Would he even take her call? She'd been pushing him away for so long, would he even care anymore? Had she ruined it? She dialled his number, and worry, grief, and hurt were all she could feel, she just needed to see him, maybe that would make her feel a little better. He answered on the fifth ring.

"Hello?" He asked, and Elizabeth's breath hitched.

"Hey." She said, so quiet she worried he didn't even hear her, so broken that she worried he'd not even know who it was.

"Elizabeth? Are you okay?" Henry asked, and she could sense the worry in his tone.

"No." She told him, her voice small, and cracked. "Can I come over?" She asked him, unsure if he would even wanted to see her.

"Of course." He said, instantly.

"I'll be there soon." She said, and ended the call, and released a breath, before grabbing a coat and leaving the dorm, not even bothering to change out of the jumper and loose track bottoms she was wearing.

She arrived as is apartment not ten minuets later, and knocked. When the door opened, Henry's heart broke at how hurt she looked, how small. It was then he was remained her of age. She was only 19, barley 20, yet she came across so strong, anyone would think she was older. Elizabeth met his eyes, and he pulled her into his arms, shutting the door, and held her tight, wanting to protect the woman he loved from everyone and everything that was hurting her.

The minuet she was in his arms, Elizabeth broke down, wrapping her arms around him, and he held her tighter.

"You're okay." He whispered to her, rubbing a hand up and down her back, and as her cries softened, Elizabeth pulled from the hug, and looked at him.

"My parents... they died, three years ago today." She told him, and his heart broke for her.

"Elizabeth, I'm so sorry." He told her, and she nodded.

"That's why I don't talk about them, and why I've been acting so strange." She told him, and he placed a hand on her cheek and wiped the tears.

"I'm here for you, Elizabeth. No matter what." He told her, and she smiled sadly. "I love you." He told her, and she wrapped herself in his arms again.

"I love you, too." She told him, and they don't know how long they stood there, or when they moved, but he found her in his arms later that day, asleep, and he kissed her forehead.

He knew in that moment that this was forever.


	5. Chapter 5

**Prompt from guest-Henry and Elizabeth re-do their 25th anniversary celebration after NYC**

 **Hope you enjoy! sorry that its short, uni kicks my ass! haha:)**

They had decided to re do their anniversary celebrations, because neither of them could stand that they don't get to enjoy just a big milestone of their love. Henry re-booked the hotel they stayed at, and finally, managed to get the same room as last time, knowing they didn't need a big room, just each other and that was all that was needed. No big plans, no pre booked dinners. Just them, being a normal couple celebrating just an extreme milestone together. Elizabeth was putting her coat on in her office, and took her bag from Blake with a smile.

"Try not to cause civil war with Texas, this time please." She joked to her staff and they laughed.

"Have a great weekend Ma'am." Daisy said with a smile. Elizabeth smiled back, and got into the elevator.

"We're going to be fine right? There's no national crisis about to fall on us that will spoil her anniversary again?" Daisy asked, nerves in her voice, and Nadine rubbed her arm.

"I hope not, I doubt the secretary would be as nice about it this time." The chief of staff told her, and Daisy pierced her lips together and went into her office, refreshing pages, hoping to stay ahead of any political dilemma.

Elizabeth got home and was greeted by Henry, who had just walked out of the office to grab something to eat.

"One more hour and were just Henry and Elizabeth McCord. Old married people, wondering the streets of New York." Henry whispered to her, before kissing her, and she smiled into it.

"I can't wait." She told him, and his smile mirrored hers, and they walked into the kitchen.

"What time are you guys back on Sunday?" Stevie asked, pouring herself a glass of orange.

"It shouldn't be too late." Elizabeth told her eldest. "Why? Planning a hard core party?" Elizabeth joked.

"Oh yeah. It's wild." Stevie joked back, "No, I have three assignments due by Wednesday, so ill be spending my time alone, in the dark with my books." Stevie said with a overdramatic sigh.

"You need a life." Jason told her, a smirk on his lips, and Stevie hit him playfully on the arm.

"Maybe if you spent more time doing your work instead of on that computer game, you'd have a higher IQ than 4." Ali mocked, and Jason threw her a fake laugh and Stevie and Ali laughed while high fiving, and Elizabeth and Henry laughed to themselves, smiling at how grown up their children were.

The drive to New York was quicker than they expected, and they got to the hotel to early to check-in, and decided on a walk down central park, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around henrys, and walked by his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I remember when we came here last time, and it was that cold we had to go and sit in a tiny little diner." Henry laughed at the memory.

"That diner was awful. It had just a bad smell." Elizabeth said, and Henry laughed in agreement.

"I think it shut down not long after we went." Henry told her.

"I'm not surprised." His wife chuckled, she groaned when her phone rang, praying that she didn't have to go back. Their weekend hadn't even started yet. She sighed in relief when she saw it was Stevie, and then she was filled with worry. Was she okay?

"Stevie? Everything okay?" Elizabeth asked, her hand in Henry's as they walked.

"Everything's fine. I was just wondering where you kept the books you have on political law? I don't have one and there's a quote in there that I need." Stevie asked her mother, routing through books in the office.

"Its on the second shelf." Elizabeth told her, her heart race slowing.

"Got it! Thanks. See you Sunday. Love you." Stevie said, and the phone went dead.

"Everything okay?" Henry asked his wife, and she nodded.

"She was looking for the political law book." Elizabeth said, her eyebrow raised.

"Wow. That's a tough book. What did she need it for?" Henry asked, his eyes wide.

"A quite or something." Elizabeth told him, unsure herself of what it was.

"Our daughter is going to be a lawyer. Can you believe it?" Henry told her wife, shock in his voice.

"I know! I never expected that." Elizabeth replied, "Definitely someone who helped people, like maybe an aid worker. But never a lawyer." Elizabeth said.

"I always thought she'd go into teaching kids from rough part of the country, or teaching in poorer countries." Henry said.

"Maybe when she's a lawyer she can help us get away with all the classified topics we've spoke about." Elizabeth joked, and Henry laughed, nodding his head. The couple then headed back to their hotel, and checked in, and Elizabeth smiled as she entered the room .

"It looks so different, yet so similar." She said, looking around, and Henry wrapped his arms around her waist and she lent back, leaning into his touch, placing her hands around his neck.

"Happy belated anniversary." She smiled, and Henry kissed her passionately, pulling her closer to him.

"Any plans for the evening?." Her husband asked, and she smirked.

"That depends on you, Dr. McCord." She said to him, and she giggled like a teenager when he span them around, dropping them onto the bed, and she kissed him deeply.

They spent the rest of the weekend in each others arms, the place where they felt their safest, the place they belonged.


	6. Chapter 6

**Prompt from a PM, who would prefer to stay anonymous- Instead of Henry getting shot in the legs, it was somewhere more gravely serious, and when Elizabeth gets the call she is told to expect the worse, but he makes it against all odds.**

His whole body ached as he sped away from the violent gunshots. His ribs and his collarbone burnt the most, and he knew he'd been shot. Henry drove as quickly as he could to the nearest hospital, he could feel blood leaking from his collarbone, and he did his best to not loose consciousness behind the wheel, lucky for him, there was a trauma hospital not two miles away from his current location, which he'd sene many times on his way to and from meeting Ian. He parked his car just outside of the entrance, and did his best to walk into the hospital, but as his foot hit the groud, he was overtaken by dizziness, and he fell to the floor. He could hear people rushing towards him, calling out to him, but their voices soon faded, and his world began to go dark, his last thoughts filling with Elizabeth, and his children. He was placed onto a gurney and wheeled in, and a doctor shouted.

"Someone get the Secreatry of State on the phone! Now!" His voice vibrating through the halls.

"The secretary of State, why?" A respectionist asked, already dailing the number to the state deparment office.

"Its her husband... he's been shot. Three times." The doctor told her, and followed the gurney into an emergency room.

Elizabeth had just finished a meeting when Blake ran in.

"Ma'am. George Washington hospitals on the line. They said its urgent." Blake told her, and Elizabeth quickly picked up the phone.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Is this is the secretary of state?" A woman asked.

"It is. Is everything okay?" Elizabeth asked, her heart beating rapidy, her hands shaking. Who was hurt? Where were her children? Where was henry?

"Ma'am. Your husband was brought in ten minuets ago with three gun shots wounds." The woman told Elizabeth, and Elizabeth felt her world stop, and her legs almost gave out beneath her, and she held onto her desk.

"Is he- is he okay?" Elizabeth chocked out.

"He is currently in surgery to control the bleeding, that's all the information I have." The woman said.

"I'm on my way." Elizabeth told them, and she ended the call and rushed out of her office, her heart in her stomach as she walked to the door.

"Blake are the cars ready?" Elizabeth asked him, and he nodded, and she was out of there before anyone could ask what had happened.

She arrived at the hospital, and basically ran towards the front next.

"Henry McCord?" She asked the woman, and she nodded.

"He's still in surgery." The woman informed her.

"What happened?" She asked her.

"I'm not sure. He came in with three gun shots wounds, two in his side and one in his collarbone. He was sent into surgry to remove them and control the bleeding. I can get one of his doctors if you'd like to know more." The woman told Elizabeth, and she nodded, and followed the woman towards a doctor.

"Hi, Madam secretary. I'm Doctor Simmons. Your husband came in with three severe gun shots wounds. As we eximended him we soon realised that the gun shot wound in his collar bone had ruptured a vessel, and he was sent to surgrey, we are hoping for the best. But, Ma'am, your husbands injuries were extremely serious when he got here. I cant say for sure if we would be able to stop the bleeding." The doctor infrormed her, placing a hand on her arm, before walking away, and Elizabeth took a deep breath as her security detail took her into a private hall way. Elizabeth took deep breathes. He'd be okay. He had to be. He couldn't leave her, not yet.

"Ma'am. Your eldest daughter is on the phone." Matt told her, and she answered.

"Hey, Stevie." Elizabeth said, trying to hold it totgether.

"I'm at the white house, and Russell and the president were talking about dad. Is he okay? They said you were at the hospital." Stevie said to her, and Elizabeth swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Yeah, your dads been... in a car accident." Elizabeth lied.

"Is he ok?" Stevie asked, worry in her tone.

"I don't know, baby." Elizabeth said, her voice small.

"What hospital are you at? I'm on my way." Stevie told her mom.

"No, baby you shouldn't come. I need you to go home and look after Ali and Jace, I don't know when i'll be home." Elizabeth told her.

"Okay. I love you mom, dad will be fine, I know he will." Stevie said, and Elizabeth shook her head.

"I know. I love you." Elizabeth said, and put the phone down as a doctor walked towards them.

"Is he okay?" She asked the female doctor, and the woman didn't speak, and Elizabeth swears the hospital hurt her heart shatter in that moment.

"He's still in surgery, but his heart has stopped three times, amd we're unsure of how much more is body can take. He is loosing a lot of blood due to the placement of the bullets, and he has a tear in a neck vessel along wth a tarpped collarbone." She told the Secreatry. "I'm here to ask.. that if his heart stops again what would you like to do?" She asked, and Elizabeth closed her eyes, taking a breath.

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked her painfully.

"If a person's heart stops more than three times, theres a high change of brain damage, and so we ask the familes if after the third time, if they'd like to let the person go." The doctor told her, and Elizabeth didn't know what to do. What do yiou even say to that?

"How bad is he?" Elizabeth asked.

"He's in extreme critical condition, he's lost a lot of blood, and we're afraid that if his heart stopd once again we will struggle to get him back. The last time took us just under three minuets." The doctor told them and Elizabeth knew that wasn't good. It was anything but good.

"Okay." Elizabeth said quietly, "Let him go, if it happens again." She told her, and the doctor nodded and made her leave, and Elizabeth wanted to curl into a ball. She couldn't go on without Henry. She forgot how to. And their kids, what would she tell them? Elizabeth turned around and headed into an empty room in the hallway, asking her security detail to give her a minuet, and she shut the door, and leaded against it. Her hand came to her mouth as she muffled a cry, and her legs gave out on her, sliding her down the door, and she contuined to cry. She might never see her husband again, and she didn't quite no what to do. She loved him so much that the thought of going on withot him made her feel sick. Her heart ached with what could happen in the next ten minuets, and her mind raced to try and remember if she told him she loved him when he'd left that morning. She couldn't remember. He knew she loved him right? He had to. He had to know. He knew.

Elizabeth didn't how long she sat there when she stood, straightening her dress out and wiping her tears, and she stood straight and walked out of the door and into the hallway, her security detail making exra sue they gave her the space she needed by only having three in the hall way, which she was grateful for. Elizabeth began pacing the hallway, unsure of what to do. All she could think about how how she could be hearing that her hubsna dwas dead, and that thought frightened her more than anything. Her thoughts were cut short when Russell walked into the hallway.

"Hey, Bess. How is he?" Russell asked her, and Elizabeth wrapped her arms around herself.

"I don't know." She told him.

"Is there any new at all?" Russell asksed, and she took a breath.

"He's in surgery, but they don't-" Elizabeth stopped, looking to the floor, "They don't know if he'll make it." She finsished,her voice small, and hurt.

"Bess I- I'm so sorry." Russell said, stunned by her words. He couldn't imagine Elizabeth without Henry, it just didn't seam right to him. "I came for a favour but it can wait, I hope he makes it Bess." Russell told her, and she smiled sadly.

"What was it you needed?" She asked, and he looked down at his phone.

"Its China, they're messing with the terms again, but I can get your staff to work on it with me. You don't need this ontop of everything else going on." Russell told her, "If you need me, you know where I am." Russell told her, his tone seruious, and caring, and she nodded.

"Thank you, Russell." She said, a sad smile on her face, and Russell left, leaving Elizabeth to wait for more information on her husband.

Elizabeth felt like she'd been sat in the hallway for hours, when a doctor finally walked it. It was different than the woman she saw before, she noted, and she stood up, and she couldn't even find words. Her heart hammering too hard in her chest, her stomach in knots, she twisted er wedding rings around her finger as she waited for them to speak.

"Ma'am..." They said, and Elizabeth took a deep breath, preparing herself for the worst. "Your husband is fine. We managed to stop the bleeding, remove the bullets and repare his teared vessels. He should make a full recovery. He got lucky." They told her, and Elizabeth released a breath, her whole body relaxing.

"Can I see him?" Elizabeth asked, and they nodded.

"He might be awake now, we waited half an hour to tell you, just in case his body shut down, like many cases we've seen." The doctor told her, but Elizabeth was to nervous to take in her words. She just wanted to see him. That the only way she would believe he was ok. Is she saw Henry with her own eyes.

Following the nurse down the hall, her heart hammered in her chest. Would he be awake? What would she have done if he had died. What would she tell the kids? Elizabeth shook her head, she wouldn't think about that. Her husband was alive. He was ok.

Walking into the room, she thanked the doctor before closing the door, and she turned, realsing a breath as her eyes met his, showing her that he was safe.

"Hey babe." He said to her, his voice groggy, his eyes half closed.

"I'm so glad you're okay." She said, her eyes filling with tears, and she kissed him softly, making sure she didn't hurt him.

"I'm fine." He reassured her, and she grabbed his hand while sitting on the chair next to the bed.

"You were shot." She said to him, making it known that he was anything but fine, and that this situation terrified her.

"I know. But i'm okay." He told her, squeezing her hands.

"I don't like how close I was too loosing you today. I don't know what i'd-" Elizabeth began, but Henry cut her off.

"I'm not going anywhere for awhile." He told her, and she looked at him.

"Good. Because I don't plan on going anywhere either." Elizabeth told him with a smirk, and he smiled.

"I love you so much." She said quietly, still on pins from the last she doesn't know how long, but it felt like a lifetime.

"I love you too." Henry told her, "A lot." He finished.

Elizabeth knew she didn't marry a couch potato, but she wouldn't change it for the world, even if it did mean spending a little more time worrying about him.


	7. Chapter 7

Another prompt from Cassandra McCord's prompt suggestions- What if Elizabeth's parents were still alive, but they didn't speak because they didn't approve of Henry, or her work for the CIA. They call her when she becomes Secretary of State, because they didn't even know she had children, and they'd love to meet them.

Any mistakes in this are my own, Uni prep is starting for third term, and there is A LOT going on! Haha. Review?;)

 _1988._

 _Elizabeth sat next to Henry, her fiancée, and across from her parents, who's faces told them they were anything but okay with the news they'd just shared._

 _"Married?" Her father, John asked, looking between them both._

 _"He did ask your permission, dad." Elizabeth told him, and John laughed, shocked._

 _"I thought you were joking! You're both so young!" John exclaimed, and looked at his wife, Marie, who was just as stunned as her husband._

 _"Are you sure this is what you both want? I mean, Elizabeth you've just turned twenty one, and Henry, I thought you were going into the marines?" Marie asked them both._

 _"My age has nothing to do with knowing what I want." Elizabeth said, defencely._

 _"And I still plan on going into the Marines, Mrs Adams, my deployment will just be shorter, and then I'll be on base here in the US." Henry explained, and Elizabeth's parents didn't know what to say, and Henry looked at his fiancée, and she shrugged her shoulders._

 _"We have to go to Henry's parents. I'll see you both later." Elizabeth said to them, and the young couple stood up, and Elizabeth placed her hand in Henry's before walking out of the door._

 _"That went well." Henry said, sarcasticly, and Elizabeth laughed._

 _"They'll be fine." Elizabeth told him, and they went to inform Hnery's family on the news, and they were a lot more happy about it than her parents were._

 _Elizabeth went home that night to have one more chat with her parents before going back to her fiancée's aparement. She hated the way she left it with them on what was supposed to be one of the best day's of her life._

 _"Elizabeth honey, is that you?" Her mother called form the kitchen as she shut the door._

 _"Yeah." She called back, and met her parents, who were in the kitchen._

 _"Is everything okay?" Herr father asked, and Elizabeth looked at her new ring nervously._

 _"I wanted to speak to you about me and Henry getting engaged." Elizabeth told them, and her parents quickly sat at the table across from Elizabeth._

 _"Of course, sweetie. What is it?" Her mother asked, hoping for Elizabeth to say it was a mistake and that she needed their help, but I'm fact she was about to say the opposite._

 _"I didn't like the way you dismissed it. Like we didn't know what we were doing because were young." Elizabeth told them._

 _"Honey, we didn't dismiss it. We just wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into." Her father told her._

 _"I do know what I'm getting into. I love him, dad." Elizabeth told him, and her parents nodded._

 _"We know that, but you have to think about your futures, first is marriage, and then you'll want to start a family. I want you to have a career Elizabeth, a career that you've always wanted, and have the brains for." Her mother said to her._

 _"Just because I'm getting married doesn't mean I'm dropping out of college. I only have a year left, I'm going to finish it." Elizabeth told her._

 _"You need to remember that you'll be finishing a master's degree two years over your class. You're special, Elizabeth, I dont want to see your potentinal wasted on some boy, who, by the way, is three years older than you." Her father said, and Elizabeth laughed bitterly._

 _"Its not his age and you both know it." Elizabeth spat at them, and stood up. "I know you don't like him, and so does he. But could you at least pretend to be happy for us?" Elizabeth asked, before taking herself upstairs to speak to her brother, before packing the last of her clothes and heading back to Henry's, or now, their, apartment._

 _"Just so you know, Lizzie. I'm happy for you." Will said in the doorway of his room, and Elizabeth smiled._

 _"Thank you. At least I can count on you to be there at my wedding." Elizabeth said, and her brother smiled._

 _"I wouldn't miss it." He laughed, and she smiled as he headed back into his room, and she went into hers and packed._

 _Downstairs, Elizabeth's parents sat in shock._

 _"What do we do? We cant let her throw her life away like this!" John said, turning to his wife._

 _"I on't think theres anything we can do. The more we push againt it, the more she's going to do it, and the sooner. We'll just pretend, and smile, and hope for the best." Marie said, and John went to speak when Elizabeth laughed._

 _"Really? You're that against my happiness that you have to fake it?" Elizabeth asked them._

 _"We like Henry, we do, and I think you could both make a greta life together, and do powerful things, but right now... can't you wait a few years before you dive into something this serious?" Marie asked her daughter._

 _"Who said we were getting married straight away?" Elizabeth asked, and her parents looked at each other._

 _"And don't give me the whole we like Henry speech, because you don't. You think I can do better. You think I deserve someone of a higher class, who's parents know people in high places so that maybe I get achive a better life, but I don't want that! I don't want any of it. I want a man who loves me, who makes me happy. The only reason you don't want me to marry Henry is because you feel as though its a step down. It's not. He got into UVA on a scholarship, he's got all A's since he was twelve, he is in the marines, what more could you want from him?" Elizabeth shouted, informing them that theur judging henry of a history of his family, instend of him as an indivuladal._

 _"Elizabeth. We just feel as though you could achieve so much, and a man like that is only going to hold you back." Her dad told her, and Elizabeth stood back._

 _"A man like what? A man that's risking his life to serve his country? Or are you judging him because his parents don't earn as much as you do?" Elizabeth questioned, and her dad stood up._

 _"That's it. Enough of his charade. Elizabeth you will not be marrying Henry, it is unresponcible. You will finish your college education, and then if you and Henry still want to be together, you can talk about marriage and familes. But I forbid you to throw your future away over a man." Her father told her._

 _"You forbid me?" Elizabeth laughed._

 _"Yes. You are my daughter, and I will not allow it. You have great potentinal, Elizabeth, a bright future. A career in high places, but you have to work for that, and you cant work for that if you're at home looking afer house full of children while Henry is working within the armed forces. You both have different paths Elizabeth. And i'm stopping uou from doing something yiu will reget later. Your my daughter, Lizzie, and I wont allow it." Her father told her._

 _"Your father is right, Elizabeth. You're making a huge mistake. Your our daughter, we know whats best for you." Her mother told her, and Elizabeths heart broke, and she grabbed her bag._

 _"Its us, and the money to fund your future, or its him, and you find your own way there." Her father said, giving her an ultimatum._

 _"Well, I guess I wont be your daughter anymore then. If that's what you feel, then don't bother coming to the wedding, and stay the hell out of my life, the both of you." Elizabeth spat, and walked out of the house, slamming the door behind her._

 _"She'll see we did the right think wont she?" Marie asked John, and he nodded._

 _"Give her a few years and she'll be back. That boy is no good for her."_

 _Elizabeth walked to Henry's, anger running through her veins, how dare they stand there and forbid her, from marrying the man se knew she would spend the rest of her life with. Arriving at Henry's aparemnt, she opened the door and was met with him in his kitchen, placing plates on the side._

 _"Just in time for dinner, babe." He smiled, and he looked at her as she smiled weakly, and placed her bags down._

 _"Are you okay? " He asked, noticing how something was bothering her._

 _"No." She said softy, and he was next to her in an insant, holding her._

 _"Why? What's happened? Are you hurt?" Henry asked, and Elizabeth shook her head._

 _"Its my parents. They don't want me to marry you.." She told him, and he looked at her._

 _"What did they say?" He asked, his heart breaking for her._

 _"They said that I was throwing my life away. That I could get a career in high places but not if I married this young." Elizabeth told him, and he rubbed her back._

 _"And because you're marrying the son of a steel worker?" Henry asked her, and she nodded._

 _"But I don't care. If they don't want to be a part of my new life its their problem. I love you, Henry McCord, and I cant wait to be your wife." Elizabeth smiled, and Henry kissed her. She was ready to spend her life with this man, and if her parents didn't want to be there for that, then they wont be._

 _Two years later, her wedding day arrived, and Will walked in, a sad look on his face._

 _"They didn't come did they." Elizabeth said to him, and Will shook hs head._

 _"I saw them yesterday, they still haven't changed their minds. I'm sorry." Will told her, and she nodded._

 _"I just wish they weren't so closed minded as to hate I'm marrying someone of a different class than us." Elizabeth said to him._

 _"I know." He said, and took a breath, "Are you ready to become Mrs Elizabeth McCord?" Will smiled, and Elizabeths eyes lit up, and she hooked her arms around his and he led her out._

 _2012_

 _Stevie sat next to her parents once they arrived home from her grandmothers funeral, and looked at her mother._

 _"How come we don't see your parents Mommy? Are they with Grandma?" Her almost twelve year old asked her._

 _"No baby, they live back where I grew up. We just don't speak." Elizabeth told her daughter._

 _"Why not?" Stevie asked._

 _"Because.. we had an argument, and we decided it would be best to not see each other." Elizabeth smiled, and Stevie hugged her mother._

 _"I hope we never argue like that." Stevie told Elizabeth, and she kissed her daughters forehead._

 _"Me too, baby." She said._

 _2014_

 _John and Marie were watching the news, when they saw her. The daughter they hadn't heard from in over twenty years, the daughter they knew nothing about._

 _"President Dalton announces that Ex CIA intelligent worker, Elizabeth McCord, will be the new secretary of state. The McCord's include, her Husband of twenty four years, Dr Henry McCord, ex NSA asset, and their children Stephine, aged twenty, Alison, aged fifteen, and Jason, aged twelve. President Dalton tells us that Elizabeth McCord will be a great state worker, and that the people will love her for her smart thinking, and her work ethic." And Marie muted the TV._

 _"Our daughter is..." John said._

 _"And she has three..." Marie said._

 _"What have we done? We missed everything!" Marie shouted._

 _"It's not like we haven't tried to find her, it was like she fell of the earth!" John reminded his wife._

 _"Because she was working for the CIA. Our daughter is a spy, John, she got there without us!" Marie said, beaming with pride._

 _"We need to call her." John said._

The last thing that Elizabeth expected on a busy Monday morning, only four months into being secretary of state, was a call from Henry, telling her that for the first time in over twenty years, her parents called. Which lead her to where she was now, pacing the bedroom of their new house.

"Why now?" Elizabeth asked her husband, and he shrugged.

"I don't know babe." He told her, and she sighed, standing still and realising a breath.

"Its been twenty seven years Henry... what could they possible want? They don't even know we have kids.." Elizabeth began, "Do you think that's why they called? Because they saw we have kids and they want to meet them? Because they're not. Not after what they said to me." Elizabeth told Henry and he stood, and embraced her, and she relaxed into his hold, wrapping her arms around him and enjoying being wrapped in her safety net.

"Mom?" Stevie called as she walked up the stairs, and into her parents room.

"Yeah?" Elizabeth said, pulling away from Henry reluctuanly.

"There's a woman on the phone, she says shes your mom? Whats going on?" Stevie asked, holding the phone in her hand, and Elizabeth let out an angered breath.

"Nothing, baby, eveythings fine." Elizabeth told her, and Stevie looked at her with a raised eyebrow and handed her the phone. The children knew that Elizabeth and her parents did not get along, and that they didn't speak, and that they would most likely never met them, which didn't bother the kids that much, because they didn't wat to meet, or know people who upset their mother they way they did. Which is why t hey were confused st the phone call.

"Did they tell you they called?" Alison asked.

"Nothing." Stevie shook her head.

Back in the bedroom, Elizabeth closed her eyes, taking a breath, beofrr speaking.

"Hello?" She said.

"Elizabeth?" Her mother said, and Elizabeth put her head down.

"Mom, what do you want?" Elizabeth asked.

"We saw on the news that you're Secretary of State." Her mother told her, and Elizabeth pierced her lips together.

"Yeah." She said blunty, "Doesn't tell me why you called." Elizabeth spat.

"You have children." Her father said over the phone.

"Three." Elizabeth said.

"We'd love too-" Maire started, but changed her mind. "We want to see you, Elizabeth. We miss you." Marie told her daughter, a daughter that she wished she'd been there for.

"You miss me?" Elizabeth laughed, "You don't miss me. If you missed me you would have called twenty years ago." Elizabeth said, growing visably upset.

"Please, Elizabeth. We want too see you. Please. Just one dinner." Her mother asked.

"No. You don't get to decide to disown me and then as soon as you find out I actually- just, no. Don't call me again." Elizabeth told her, and ended the call. Elizabeth looked down, and her body began to shake andHenry instantly went to her, and held her tight, letting her know that he was there for her no matter what, and she buried her face in his chest and cried silently. Alison walked past, wanting to ask her mom for answers about why they didn't see tehri grandparents, but as she saw her mother crying into her dads arms, she walked back down the stairs.

"We don't talk about the call. It's upset her." She told Jason and Stveie and hey nodded.

Three days went by, and there was no call, and Elizabeth believed that her parents had give up on her once again, accept this time it didn't hurt as much. She expected it. So when she arrived home that Wednesday evening, the last thing she expcted was to find her parents in the kitchen with Henry, and they faced her.

"Elizabeth." Her mother said, staring at her with a smile. "you look-" Marie started, but didn't contuine when she saw the look in her daughters eye.

"Why are you in my house?" Elizabeth asked her estranged parents.

"You wouldn't take our calls.." Her father said.

"How do you even know where I live?" Elizabeth asked, questing her security.

"The same way I got your phone number... a private investigator. We've been trying to contact you for years. We gave up trying ourselves and hired someone to do it." Her fathe rinfomred her.

"You have not been trying to find me for years. I've been in Charlottesville, dad, its like a four hour drive from you. You could have googled my name, and you'd have found out I worked at UVA" Elizabeth said to them, placing her bag on the kitchen counter.

"The years we tried to find you, must have been the years you were in the CIA, because you fell of the earth. Your brother wouldn't tell us anything, and we gave up." Her mother told her, and Elizabeth laughed bitterly.

"That doesn't surprise me." She said, and her parents were cut off.

"Mom? Dad? Are you home?" Stevie called from the doorway and she and her siblings walked in from getting dinner, and Elizabeth looked at Henry, who nodded, standing and meeting their children in the living room.

"Is mom home?" Alison asked.

"She's in the kitchen, she's.. busy." Henry told their kids, and Jason peaked his head over, getting a small slap on the arm by Stevie.

"Don't be nosy." She teased, and he rolled his eyes.

"I would love to meet my grandchildren." Marie asked, and Elizabeth shook her head.

"No. You disowned me because I married their father! You think I'm going to allow you to know them?" Elizabeth told them.

"We're sorry about that, sweetie. We just didn't think you were making the right choice. You were so young." Her father told her.

"Yet here we are." Elizabeth said.

"Here you are. And we couldmt be prouder." Marie smiled.

"I got married, had children, and still managed to get a job higher than you thought I would. Who's the stupid one now?" Elizabeth told them, and she took a deep breath.

"Elizabeth-" Her mother tried.

"Get out of my house." Elizabeth told them, and her mother went to fight for her when Stevie walked into the room.

"Oh. Sorry. I just came for the plates..." She said, her eyes not leaving the strangers, who eyed her strongly, and she grabbed the three plates her mother handed her.

"You looked just like that when you were her age." Her mother said, a smile on her lips, and Stevie stopped walking and turned around, looking at her mother, who's head was down.

"Stevie, go back in the living room please." Her mother told her, and Stevie looked at her mother, and then back at the strangers, who she assumed were her mothers parents, and she left the kitchen.

"She's beautiful." Marie told her daughter.

"I know." Elizabeth said.

"I'd love too meet them all, properly." Marie said, and Elizabeth shook her head.

"No. You don't get to meet the grandkids you didn't want, and that's it. Now get out off my house." Elizabeth said to them, her voice strong, but a lot more vunerable than she would have liked.

"Okay. If that's what you want." Her father said, and Elizabeth nodded, not meeting their eyes, and she walked behind them as they walked out, but she didn't time it right, because as they walked in the entrance of the house, Alison and Jason walked out to head upstairs, standing still as they saw the two strangers, relaxing as they saw their mother behind them, and their eyes went back to the pairs that hadn't left them.

"You must be Alison and Jason." John said with a smile.

"Keep walking." Henry told them as he appeared behind his youngest, and Elizabeth smiled sadly at her husband as her parents walked, and as Elizabeth shut the door, she leaned against it.

"Who were they?" Ali asked.

"They were you parents, weren't they." Stevie told them, and Elizabeth nodded.

"They called the other day as well. Is everthing okay?" Stevie asked her.

"Everythings fine." Elizabeth said, walking back into the kithcne.

"Then why are they calling all of a sudden?" Stevie asked, following.

"I don't know, Stevie." Elizabeth said, her voice trailed with exhaustion.

"What did they do? I mean, for you to not talk to them?" Alison asked innocently, and Elizabeth looked at her middle child softly.

"We disagreed about something, they said things. I left and never looked back. That's all." Elizabeth answered.

"Was it Stevie." Jason joked, trying to lighten the situation, and smiled when his mother chuckled.

"No, honey, it wasn't Stevie, although I doubt they'd of been pleased." Elizabeth told them, a smirk on her face as she looked at her eldest with light eyes.

"What happened was a long time ago, and there back to try.. They want to meet you three. So if you want to get to know them, I'm not going to stop you. Their not bad people." Elizabeth told them, and the three kids looked between eachother.

"I want to know what they did first." Jason told them both, and Elizabeth and Henry looked at each other.

"Your Mom had a very different... background, than I did." Henry told them.

"They didn't like Dad because he didn't have as much money growing up?" Stevie asked, and Elizabeth moved her said to the side in a slight nod.

"That doesn't seem like something good people do." Alison told them, and Jason agreed.

"If they didn't want you too marry dad, that means they didn't want you to have us, so how does it make sense that they want to meet us?" Jason questioned, and Elizabeth knew her son was right.

"If that's how you feel, then I'm not going to force you to know them, just like I'm not going to force you to not know them just because we have our issues. As much as you may not like it, my parents are part you guys to, and if you want, you deserve to know them." Elizabeth told her children.

"I don't like what they did, but I'd like to at least know them, even if I end up not liking who they are or what they stand for." Alison said, and Elizabeth nodded.

"That's fine." She smiled, and looked to Stevie.

"I guess I would kind of like to know more about moms side, I mean, where did the blonde even come from?" Stevie laughed, and her mother laughed along with her.

"Then that's fine as well." Elizabeth said, and then looked at Jason.

"I'll pass. I'd rather spend my time with people who wanted to know me from the start." He told his parents, and smiled at Elizabeth who smiled back with a nod.

"Okay then. I will call them- or, have Blake call them, I feel if I have to speak to them one more this week I might have a mental breakdown." Elizabeth said, and headed to bed.

"Was what happened with them really bad?" Ali asked her dad.

"Elizabeth and her parents have always had a strange relationship, ever since I met her anyway. Elizabeth decided she wanted us more than she wanted them, that's all." Henry explained in a more simple, and pleasant way, and his middle daughter, smiled, before hopping of the kitchen counter and headed to bed.

Henry and Elizabeth lay in bed that night, and Elizabeth rolled to her side to meet henrys eye.

"Its the right to do, isn't it? Allow them to chance to meet our children?" Elizabeth asked.

"Like you said, Ali and Stevie deserve to know their grandparents if that's what they want." Henry said, and Elizabeth hummed in agreement.

"I hope they aren't as judgemental as they were back then." Elizabeth hopes aloud, and henry places his hand in hers.

"I'm sure they're not." Henry said, and kissed his wife.

Before they knew it, it was Saturday, and Alison and Stevie were waiting for their unknown grandparents.

"Are you sure you don't want to go, Jace?" Elizabeth asked her son.

"I'm sure. I have no interest in knowing people who didn't care until their daughter became fourth in line for the presidency." Jason told them, and Elizabeth felt a pang in her chest at the thought. Was that the only reason they were trying? A knock at door stopped her thoughts.

"Their here." Alison said, unsure how to feel. Marie and John walked in behind Henry, and smiled.

"I'm so glad to finally get to meet you properly." Marie said, and looked towards her daughter, "Thank you." Marie said to her, and Elizabeth met her mothers eyes.

"Its their decision, I support them." She bit, and her parents looked down before looking at the young women who were walking towards them.

"Gosh, Stevie, you look so much like your mother did at twenty, and Alison, you have the same ambitious look in your eyes, even with your dads eye colour." John said, and Henry shook his head and Elizabeth laughed bitterly.

"Couldn't even get out of the house and enjoy a day with them could you?" Elizabeth said to her dad, and he looked in Elizabeth's direction, like he didn't know what he'd done.

"Okay... I think we should go." Stevie said, beginning to walk out the door, and Marie looked at her grandson, wishing he would come.

"He's not going Mom, you cant force him." Elizabeth said, and Marie nodded.

"It would be nice to get to know you soon, Jason." Marie said, and Jason looked at her, placing his plate in the sink.

"It would also have been nice for me to have had you want to know me before I was teenager," Jason began, standing at the bottom of the stairs, and Elizabeth closed her eyes as she got ready for the next words to come out of her sons mouth, a son that took after his dad in the role of 'you hurt Elizabeth, you make an enemy out of me'. "But then again, I guess it would also have been nice of you to have been at your daughters wedding.." Jason said, "It would also be nice to win the lottery. Buy, we cant always have nice things can we." Jason said, and walked up the stairs, leaving a stunned McCord family, and a very confused, yet hurt Adams in his wake.

"Lets go shall we." Marie said, standing straight, and followed the girls out.

"A great boy you've raised their Elizabeth, I can see he gets his extreme views and attitude from you." He smirked, letting his daughter know that even though what her son said was not acceptable, that her son was raised to be protective of his loved ones, and John followed the three girls out of the house.

"I think I should go and speak to our outspoken son." Elizabeth said, heading up the stairs, and Henry kissed his wife softly as she walked past him.

Elizabeth knocked on Jason's door, and smiled when he looked at her.

"What you said downstairs..." Elizabeth began.

"Was rude, I know. I'll apologise when they get back, I shouldn't have snapped. I don't even know them and I'm judging them, I'm just like your parents." Jason said, and Elizabeth walked in and sat on her sons bed.

"You're nothing like them Jace. What you said, was rude, yes. But it was also very nice of you to defend me like that. So thank you." Elizabeth said, and Jason nodded.

"I hate that they hurt you." Jason said.

"Me too. But, it got me you, and that's the best outcome there could have been." Elizabeth told her little boy, who, of which she was reminded daily, was not so little anymore, and Jason smiled, and Elizabeth stood up and began to walk out the room. "Love you," She said, and she turned in the door way at his response.

"Love you." He said, getting back to his work, and Elizabeth smiled.

Later that night, Stevie and Ali walked in, and Henry and Elizabeth lifted their heads up, but not moving from their position on the couch, their legs spend out on front of them, tangled together, and henrys arm around his wife.

"Your daughters are very bright." John said, stopping in his tracks as he saw how his son in law and daughter were together, and kicked himself for missing all of this.

"We know." Elizabeth said.

"We'll see ourselves out." Marie said with a smile, and Elizabeth stood up

"I need to speak you to both, so, I'll walk you out." Elizabeth said, standing up, and once at the door her parents turned.

"Thank you for allowing us the day. We'd love to see them again, maybe with Jason next time?" Marie asked.

"Of course you can, but Jason... he'll take awhile." Elizabeth said. "I wanted to speak to you, about this whole thing actually." Elizabeth said, and her parents stood and waited for her words.

"I'm happy that you decided you want to mend fences and be there for my kids, but.. if you ever, ever, make them feel as though they have to choose between what you want, and what they want, I will find someway, to stop you from ever seeing us ever again." Elizabeth warned them.

"We're sorry, about everything, Elizabeth. You're our daughter, and we thought we knew what was best and we were wrong." John told her, and Elizabeth smiled slightly.

"Thank you." Elizabeth said, "I'll have my assistant call you when Ali and Stevie are next free if they want to get to know you." Elizabeth said, and looked at her parents, "Maybe we can get to know each other at some point." Elizabeth said, and they both smiled.

"We'd love that." Marie said, and her parents turned and walked away, and Elizabeth shut the door behind her and walked into the house.

"Did you have a good day?" Elizabeth asked her girls, and they nodded.

"It was good, it was nice to finally get to know more about the Adams." Stevie raised an eyebrow, and Elizabeth laughed, and watched her daughters as they laughed and smiled, and she told herself she would never, ever make her daughters choose between their home or ttheir heart, and that no matter what, they would have her support.

Feel free to PM or comment prompts, I promise I will eventually get around to completing the ones already being worked on!


	8. Chapter 8

**Prompt from guest-**  
 **Could you write a chapter about Elizabeth and Henry hating/disliking each other when they were in college. And now years later, they find themselves back in a room again, as Secretary of State and as a member of the DIA/CIA, and they have to work together which they thought is intolerable but it seems to work somehow.. :) I know this might not be EXACTLY, what you may have pictured, but ive tried this so many different ways and it always seemed so OOC. Sorry if you hate it, anon, but I hope to have done it justice?**

 **I also want to thank you all for the lovely reviews from my last chapter, they really do make me smile:) Some of you said you would like another part to it? I can do that! It may take me awhile to plan a plot, but if its what you guys want I shall deliver!:) Enjoy this chapter, and thank you, anon, for the prompt. Happy Reading!**

 _1986_

 _She hated him. Hated everything about him. Elizabeth hated the way that even though he was only two years her senior, he felt was superior, that he had more power. He didn't. She was literally eighteen, and taking a graduate class in Political Science with him, who was, as he never let her forget, older than him. Elizabeth hated the way he would tease her, joke with her, or speak to her at all. Henry, in her mind, was a stuck up scholarship kid who thought he ran the college. But out of all the many things she hated about the tall, brown eyed, muscular and very intelligent twenty year old, was how she felt when she was around him. Elizabeth hated Henry, she did, but she didn't hate how he made her feel, and Elizabeth wishes that he would drop the act he holds, because she figures maybe if he showed her who he really was, they could maybe get long. But he didn't, he remained the small minded, cocky, and extremely annoying man that loved to anger her._

 _Henry wouldn't say he hated, the young woman in his Political Science class, but he wouldn't say he liked her either, and he could definitely tell the feeling was mutual. It was just so easy to push her buttons, and if he was being honest, they just didn't get along, every conversation they had turned into a bickering argument, every joke was always taken one step too far by either one of them, always ending in an apology later that day, but never a truce. He just didn't like her, and she didn't like him._

 _Over the course of the two years they spent at the college, things between the two never improved, and during the second year they had a massive argument, one that disrupted the entire last semester they had. He'd said something about her parents, not realising they'd past, and she'd said something about him being a scholarship student, not realising how it was a huge problem at home for him, and they'd not spoken after that. Every lesson they shared was awkward and held bitter words, and occasional raised voices at each other before one of them was removed. Their fallout was the topic of the campus, none of them cared. But they hated each other, and that was that, and on the day they graduated, they made eye contact from across the room, and nodded in each others direction, knowing they'd never meet again, and they could let the hurt they both held from one another go, and with that, the two moved on with their lives._

 _Henry went into the Marines not long after and met a woman who later became his wife, named Sarah, who worked for the CIA, and so when Henry's deployment was over, it wasn't long before he was contacted by the DIA, saying they could use someone they trusted in their filed who had knowledge on Religion, Ethics, and Marine training behind him. He and Sarah had their first child, a daughter, who they named Brooke, in 1991 and during their year break, Henry got his PhD, and enjoyed time with his wife and daughter.  
In 1994, Sarah was killed in action, and Henry quit, grieving the loss of his wife of three years, and raising his three year old, wanting her to have a secure life, and to have her father around. When his daughter turned 13, Henry was once again recruited by the DIA, and he took the offer, handing in his notice at Georgetown, and began his intelligence work again, still making time for his daughter, who he would do anything for. Which he how he found himself here, four years later, stood in a room with the woman he used to hate, who was now Secretary of State, Elizabeth Adams. _

_After college, Elizabeth began work for the NSA, which is where Conrad Dalton found her, and recruited her for the CIA, which is where she met her husband, Michael, a CIA agent. They had their first daughter, Stephanie, at the end of 1990, and their son, Jason, in early 2005. Elizabeth divorced her husband in 2006, after they began disagreeing on important decisions, and after that he'd give up on her and their children, Elizabeth became secretary of state in 2008, as her ex CIA director, Conrad Dalton became president, and that's how she ended up here, in a room with a man she used to hate, DIA agent, Henry McCord._

 _2008_  
"You have got to be kidding me." Elizabeth said as henry entered the presidents office, and Russell looked at her.

"You know agent McCord?" Russell asked her, and she nodded.

"Unfortunately." Elizabeth sighed, and henry smirked.

"Good to see you too, Adams." Henry said, teasing her using the name he'd called her all those years ago.

"Whatever went on between you two, I don't care, and neither will the president, deal with your issues later." Russell told them, and Elizabeth pierced her lips, and stood straight once the president walked in.

"Bess, Russell, Agent McCord. Please, take a sit." Conrad said as he walked in, and three sat.

"Bess, I hear you and Agent McCord went to the same college?" Conrad questioned.

"We did, sir." Elizabeth nodded.

"Good. It might be nice to catch up with old friends, this mission is top secret, and will take its toll on all of us." Conrad nodded, and Elizabeth took a deep breath with a fake smile and nodded.

"Agent McCord, its been some time, the last time we saw each other was under some very dark circumstances. How are you?" Conrad asked his long time friend, who he'd met through Henry's late wife, Sarah.

"I'm good, and you?" Henry asked, and Elizabeth looked on in confusion at how friendly the pair were.

"Fine, and your daughter, Brooke is it?" Conrad asked, and Elizabeth looked at Henry, _he had a daughter?_ She thought to herself. She didn't see that one coming. Henry nodded at the presidents question, "How is she? eighteen is a strange age." Conrad laughed.

"She's doing great, applying for college." Henry smiled, and Conrad nodded.

"I'm glad. I'm sure Sarah would be so proud of her." Conrad said with a sad smile, and Elizabeth and Russell looked at each other with confusion.

"Me too, Sir." Henry replied with a smile, and the room went silent as the president remembered his dear friend and colleague, who was taken too soon, and then began the meeting on the mission. After giving all the information, Conrad stood.

"Bess, Henry, you will be working together on this. I want state, and the DIA working all hours to find these people and stop them." The president said, and Henry nodded, biting his lip to stop him from laughing at Elizabeth's annoyance and she agreed.

"Great." Conrad smiled, and sent everyone to begin their work.

They couldn't work together, it would be impossible, she thought to herself as she watched three other DIA agents walk into the state department and into a meeting room where all work would be based.

"Everything okay, Ma'am?" Blake asked her, and she nodded as she eyed Henry, watching him walk into the meet room.

"You know Agent McCord?" Blake asked.

"We went to college together." Elizabeth said in a tone that told Blake it was not a good thing.

"Bad breakup?" He asked, a smirk on his face.

"No." She laughed, "We just didn't get on." Elizabeth said, but Blake knew there was more to it, but decided against crossing the boundaries, and watched her as she walked into the meet room at Nadine's call.

They all must have been in there for hours, Elizabeth in and out as she dealt with other problems around the world as her staff worked all around, it was around nine pm when they called it a night, and Elizabeth was walking out of the office when Henry caught up to her.

"Adams." He joked, and she rolled her eyes, turning the corner towards the elevator.

"McCord." She replied, and Henry went to speak when Russell cut them off.

"Just the two people I was looking for." He said and passed them two folders.

"What is this?" Elizabeth asked.

"That, is more papers and documents you need to read through. I was going to give you them tomorrow but the president wants them sorted and filed by tomorrow so.." Russell said.

"You do realise I'm going home now?" Elizabeth said, "I have a six year old, Russell, I cant stay here all night looking through papers." Elizabeth told him, and Russell sighed.

"And POTUS knows that, but he wants this over and done with, its a threat of the country and it needs sorting, it wont take you that long." Russell told her, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Well then do it at home, I don't care. Just get it done. These guns cant be given to terrorists." Russell said, already walking away, and when he was gone, Elizabeth groaned.

"You have a six year old?" Henry asked her.

"Yeah." Elizabeth replied, looking at him with a weird look, at his weird question, and back to the two files in front of her.

"Come on then. I'd love to see how the secretary of state lives." Henry joked, and Elizabeth snarled at him before walking away, and he laughed as he followed.

Arriving at her house was awkward. Her eighteen year old, Stephanie, knew him from her school as her and Brooke were friends, and she'd asked her friends dad was here, but once she knew he was just here for state work, her daughter nodded and disappeared upstairs.

"Don't you have an eighteen year old at home?" Elizabeth asked, holding up a bottle of wine in question to if he wanted any, he nodded.

"I do. Which is why she is able to stay alone before 12am." Henry laughed, and Elizabeth poured the wine.

"Wouldn't her mother be home?" Elizabeth asked innocently, completely forgetting the conversation with Conard when he'd used the woman in past tense.

"She erm.. she passed away." Henry told her, and Elizabeth looked at him.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." Elizabeth said, feeling like an idiot, remembering that Stevie had told her one of her friends mothers had passed away.

"It's fine, don't worry, it was a long time ago." Henry said with a smile.

"Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt when people bring it up." Elizabeth told him, and he looked at her.

"Is your husband-" Henry began, and she shook her head.

"Oh, no." She said, "He's alive. I think." She said, and he raised an eyebrow. "I divorced him and he disappeared." Elizabeth shrugged.

"That sucks." Henry said, and she laughed.

"Yeah. Especially for Jason. Stevie kind of hates him for leaving, but Jason's six and he doesn't get it." Elizabeth said, passing him files to look at And the night went on just like that, getting to know one another once again, and they found they like each other a lot more now than they did then. And as they finished the last bit of re search and background checks, henry looked at her.

"That whole thing in college.. how I treated you-" Henry began, and she waved her hands.

"Don't worry about it... it was years ago." Elizabeth said, and he shook his head.

"I found out about your parents a few months after we left, when I said that horrible thing about them, I had no idea, and I'm sorry that I used them to hurt you." Henry told her, and she looked up and met his eye with a smile.

"Thank you." She nodded, "And I guess I'm sorry for calling you a scholarship kid." Elizabeth said, a smirk on her face to lighten the mood, and he nodded.

"Don't worry about it." He said, and she laughed, standing up along with him and saw him out, and as he walked off she shut the door, jumping out of her skin at her daughter being stood on the stairs.

"Please tell me you're not going to date one of my best friends dad." Stevie said, and Elizabeth laughed.

"I'm not going to date your friends dad." She agreed, and Stevie nodded.

"Okay... if you change your mind you better tell me." She pointed, and Elizabeth laughed.

"I wont. But ill keep your threat in mind." Elizabeth joked with her daughter, and she heard her laugh as she headed back upstairs.

It seemed working together wasn't as bad as they thought, it was awful at first, bickering and disagreements here and there, but after their little work meeting, they'd grown to actually be friends. They began agreeing on things, and once they did, things moved a lot quicker, and they were able to track down the missiles, and were able to stop them from arriving in the wrong hands, and as Elizabeth left the office that day, Henry got into the elevator with her.

"Its been a good few weeks." Henry said, and Elizabeth hid her smile.

"It has." She said.

"Its been nice to get to know the real you, Elizabeth Adams." Henry said, and Elizabeth looked at him, and looked back.

"I guess I could say the same, Henry McCord." She told him, and as the elevator dinged, he grabbed her arm gently and she faced him.

"I'd love to get to know you a little better." He said.

"Would you?" She challenged.

"I would." He smiled, and she began to walk out of the elevator.

"You know where to find me." She said, and walked off, a smile on her face, and henry laughed.

He may have not liked Elizabeth back then, but he sure did now, and he knew the feeling was mutual.


	9. Chapter 9

**Prompt- Elizabeth and Henry argued like every other couple, but it was never anything huge, and they never allowed it to happen in front of the children. The first time they have a major fight, resulting in one of them walking out, ends up being the only one the children ever hear.  
I hope you enjoy, XvinX:)  
This is set during the whole Dimitri topic, as I think (I could be wrong) is the only time we've seen their marriage challenged and on rocks. **

**Also, thank you for the lovely reviews on the last chapter, they make my heart smile:) I am working on turning chapter 8 into a multi fic, as I have ideas as to where I can take it, and I'm working on ideas for turning chapter 7 multi as well, I am also working on a two part fic with someone;) but, please be patient as I am currently on my third and last term in uni, so.. , no promises! (And those who have sent me prompts, I'm still working on those to, but if you don't see yours being published, message me, I'm sure I'm working on it somewhere haha.) Happy reading! Review?**

Elizabeth and Henry argued from the moment they woke up, to the moment they got home later that day, which is how they ended up here, in the bedroom, in something which could only be described as a screaming match.

"This is ridiculous!" Elizabeth said, and Henry looked up to face her.

"No, Elizabeth. What's ridiculous is that you cant seem to understand what position you've put me in, and why I need time." Henry told her.

"I do understand that, Henry! But I need you to talk to me!" Elizabeth said.

"I cant talk to you!" He shouted. He'd never shouted at her before, and she took a step back. "You remind me, of it. Of how I failed. Of how I promised a young man that his life would be safe with the team he was working with and he wasn't, and for some reason, every time I think about it, I blame you." Henry said to her in more of a calmed voice, and she took a breath.

"You blame me?" She asked.

"I hate that I blame you, and I hate that I cant look at you without thinking that you ended that poor mans life, but I do. And I need time to sort that out." Henry explained.

"Time? Like what?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't know, Elizabeth." He said to her, his tone dry and tired.

"You cant just spit all that out on me and then say you don't know!" She shouted to him.

"I'm not doing this again." Henry told her, and walked off.

"You don't get to walk away from his, Henry!" She shouted as she followed him down the stairs, and as they both reached the kitchen, they remained unaware that their three children were sat in the living room, their heads turned towards their parents raised voices. "You cant continue to blame me for something I had no control over." Elizabeth said to him.

"You had control over this, Elizabeth. You could have disagreed, you could have fought harder, but you didn't." Henry said to her, and the kids looked at each other with confused expressions.

"For the sake of not causing world war three!" Elizabeth shouted.

"I know that!" Henry shouted back, "But it doesn't-" Henry ended this sentence, shaking his head.

"Doesn't what? Change anything?" Elizabeth finished for him, "Don't you think I know that? I feel just as much guilt over this as you do." Elizabeth said to him.

"Do you? Did you promise him to his face that he could trust you, and that you would protect him from his government? Did you make a promise that young man that put his life on the line for a country that's not even his?" Henry questioned, and Elizabeth didn't speak.

"He was the same age as Stevie, did you know that? He has a sister that relies on him, what do I tell her? When you made this decision you didn't think about him, or how badly the Russian government were going to touture him, all you thought about was what was best to make your work life easier." Henry started, spitting words out that he knew he didn't believe. That he didn't mean.

"If that's how you really feel then, why are we still arguing? What's the point?" Elizabeth asked, and he shook his head.

"The point? The point is that I wish I didn't blame you for this, and I wish that I could look at you and not be reminded of what happened, but I cant. You're a reminder, Elizabeth. And I don't know how to change that." Henry told her.

"I don't either." She said, and looked down. The McCord children still sat, watching, and the couple still unaware of their presence.

"It was the right call, Henry." Elizabeth said, and he nodded, because he knew it was, he knew that she'd stopped Russia attacking Ukriane, but that didn't help.

"Maybe it was. But I don't think that its the only call you could have made." Henry said to her.

"Are you really staring this again?" Elizabeth asked. "I did what was best for.. well, everyone! And I'm sorry someone you were close to got caught in the crossfire but there's nothing I can do about that!" Elizabeth raised her voice.

"He didn't get caught in the crossfire, you put him in it!" Henry said back in the same loud volume.

"That's not fair." She told him, and he shook his head, releasing a breath.

"I cant do this again, I-" Henry said, and stood straight, "I have to go." Henry told her, and she laughed bitterly.

"Of course you do." She said, and he stared at her, before grabbing his coat and heading out the door, the slam of the shut making the rest of the McCords jump. And the kids looked at each other.

"What the hell?" Ali said.

"Did Dad just... leave?" Jason asked.

"I'm going to go and talk to mom, wait here." Stevie said, and the two younger siblings nodded.

"Mom?" Stevie said walking into the kitchen, and Elizabeth turned to face her, and Stevie saw the exhaustion on her face.

"Hey baby, everything okay?" Elizabeth asked her, and Stevie looked back at Jace and Ali, who kept looking at the front door.

"Mom.. we're in the livingroom.." Stevie said, and Elizabeth's heart dropped.

"Stevie, honey. Its fine, everythings fine." Elizabeth said, walking into the living room, and being met with the eyes of her children, and sat next to them on the couch.

"Where did Dad go?" Ali asked her mother.

"He just went out for some air, everything is fine, Noodle." Elizabeth smiled, hoping her worry wasn't clear in her voice.

"Didn't sound fine." Jason commented.

"Jace, I promise. There's nothing to worry about." Elizabeth reassured, and Jace nodded, disappearing upstairs, and then Ali did the same, her footsteps small, and she eyed the door as she carried on up the steps.

"Everything is not fine, Mom." Her eldest told her, and followed her siblings, and Elizabeth sighed, throwing her head back on the couch. Where was Henry?

Henry walked in not half an hour later after he walked around the block to calm down, and as he shut the door and walked further into the house he was met with Elizabeth who was in the office on the phone with Russell, talking about yet another crisis. He stood and waited for her to finish on the phone, and as she placed it down and looked at him, and cursed himself for ever thinking it was okay to walk out.

"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have walked out, but I had to go before I said somethings I'd regret. I'm sorry, babe." He said, and she nodded, standing up.

"The kids saw you walk out." She told him.

"Are they okay?" He asked with worry, following her into the kitchen.

"They're fine." She told him, still being dry and dismissive towards him.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, and she turned to face him, her eyes sad and tired, missing the light shade of colour they normally had.

"Are we? She asked with a quiet voice, and it broke him to see how unsure she was of them, and walked towards her, and wrapping her in a hug.

"We're fine. We are always fine." He told her, and he felt her relax in his hold, and he kissed the side of her head.

"Then I'm okay." She told him, and it broke his heart that he made her feel that she had to question their marriage.

At the top of the stairs, all three children relaxed.

"They're okay, right?" Jason asked his sisters.

"It looks like it." Ali smiled, and Jason looked at Stevie, who looked just as unsure as he did.

"Every couple has its ups and downs, I'm sure they'll get to being okay." Stevie nodded, and the three children looked at their parents as they laughed together, and they knew then that no matter what, the five of hem would always be together.


	10. Chapter 10

**prompt-Someone attacks Elizabeth (or tries to) and Henry can't a hold of her, all he for a while has are the (fake?) dramatized news reports, maybe she surprises him when she gets home, and Something with Conrad being a protective big brother like type to Elizabeth. I know I kind of went off topic with this! And I'm so sorry about lack of updates:)**

The meeting with the foreign diplomats in India was going well. Everyone seemed to be agreeing, getting along, and becoming a step closer to a peace deal, Elizabeth and Conrad nodded at each other from the opposite sides of the table in agreement that this was going great. Or at least it was, until one of the Indian Ministers decided they didn't want the peace deal to go ahead, and voiced his very negative opinion on the whole situation, which did not help the agreement, and Conrad requested a time out, and he, Elizabeth and Russell left the room, and was lead into a private rom down the hall.

"What the hell was that?!" Russell said, stress in his voice.

"That was us saying goodbye to a peace deal with India. We cant sign the deal unless all ministers agree." Elizabeth said, and Russell shook his head.

"We need to figure out what changed his mind and change it back, we need this deal to happen." The president said, and Elizabeth nodded.

"I'll go and talk to him, see if I can figure out what caused him to disagree with the deal he agreed to not twelve hours ago." Elizabeth suggested.

"No, right now we need to leave, and make them chase us, they want this deal as much as we do, we will come back here tomorrow." Russell said, and both agreed, before heading out.

As they reached the car, paparazzi, news reporters, and a bunch of standbys gathered around them, the three of them continued to their car, but stopped and turned in the direction of the voice that had shouted for Elizabeth.

"Minister Shan, would you like to renegotiate the deal you just declined?" Elizabeth asked, looking at Conrad as he stood just meters in front of her.

"No. I didn't." He said, emotionless, and pulled a gun from his pocket, holding it up to three American government workers.

"Minister Shan, put the gun down." Conrad asked, stepping in front of Elizabeth as Russell pulled her back slightly. The DS agents pushed their way through the large crowd, but before they could reach them, the Minister grabbed Elizabeth and pushed her forward, gun to her back.

"Mr President. Mr Jackson. Follow." The armed minister demanded, and began to push Elizabeth forward, and against the DS agents request, Conrad and Russell followed in pursuit. Cameras were flashing, people were yelling, and news reports began to roll their cameras, and then it was headline news.

"Dad!" Stevie screamed painfully, almost dropping the floor, and Henry ran from the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a worried tone, and Stevie stared at the TV, and that's when Henry heard it.

 ** _President Dalton, Secretary Of State Elizabeth McCord, and Chief of White House Staff Russell Jackson all held at gun point by Minister Shan, and led back into what is now being described as a hostage situation._**

"Dad?" Stevie asked, and Henry hugged his eldest daughter, who in this moment looked so small.

"She's going to be okay." Henry said, trying to soothe his now crying daughter, and he turned off the TV as he heard Jason and Alison walk in. He couldn't handle them all being worried, he was too scared himself. He couldn't be strong for all of them.

"Is Stevie okay?" Jason asked Ali, who shrugged her shoulders as their sister cried into their fathers chest, and Stevie took a deep breath and looked at her dad.

"Everything will be okay." He told her, and Stevie nodded.

"Are you guys okay?" Alison asked as she walked into the living room.

"Everything's fine, noodle. How was your day?" Henry asked, hoping to start a distraction for his youngest and middle child from looking at news on their mother.

Back in India, the three of them were placed into a large room with one way glass, and Minister Shan continued to hold his gun up.

"Was there really any need for this, Minister Shan?" Russell asked.

"This seems to be the only way you will listen to my points." The minister said.

"We would have been more inclined to listen to you if you hadn't held us at gunpoint in front of a bunch of cameras, Minister." Russell snapped back looking at his phone to see multiple missed calls from Henry, and the presidents wife, along with quite a lot from his own, and Elizabeth looked at the president as he took a step forward.

"Now you have us here, what is it you would like to discuss?" He asked, and the minister put his gun down to his side.

"I am unsafe in my Country, Mr President. I am being forced into making decisions I do not agree with, decisions that will get me into trouble with the Indian Government." The Minister told them.

"What? Like holding the two most secured and ranked people in America hostage?" Russell clapped, and his gun rose towards him.

"If you dare shoot my chief of staff I shall have it that you stay in the country you so desperately want to be saved from." Conrad said, and the gun was lowered.

"Its not that I want to leave my country, Mr President, its that I want more control. More power. I want to be able to get out of the business I have found myself in." He said.

"And how do we come into that?" Elizabeth asked.

"You can hire me as a Indian diplomat, someone who holds the peace deal here in India, someone with power." The minter said.

"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that." Elizabeth told him, and the minister shook his head and began to pace.

"It has to! It has to work! I risked everything!" The minister began to raise his voice.

"Minister Shan-" Elizabeth began, but the sound of her voice only caused his anger to rise, and his eyes met hers and he leaped and grabbed her wrist and pushed her, his body following, causing both Russell and Conrad to run forward. Conrad looked at Elizabeth, the woman he had trained, the woman he had thought of as a sister since the day they met, and he lost it. Grabbing the Minister by his jacket, he pulled the man from Elizabeth by the back of his jacket and threw him to the floor, before leaning down and placing his index finger on his chest.

"If you ever lay a hand on my secretary of state ever again I will see to it that you are never, ever involved in a diplomatic or foreign agreement ever again, are we understood?" Conrad spat, and the mean nodded with fear, and the president stood up and turned to Elizabeth.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine." She nodded, still a little shaky, and at that moment over ten DS agents ran in with guns, and grabbed the three Americans.

"The place is set to blow in just under two minuets we need to go" One shouted as they rushed the three out of the room and into a exit.

Henry and Stevie planted themselves in front of the TV, watching news reports, looking at the same images over and over, when breaking news broke over the screen.

"The Indian Embassy is set to blow in less than five minuets, all reporters, standbys, and paparazzi are forced to leave the area as over ten of both Secretary McCord and President Daltons security run in as there has been no sign of them for over two hours." A reporter said, and Stevie released a shaky breath and Henry swallowed a lump in his throat, and just as he went to speak, he watched as the Embassy blew into tiny pieces, and the screen go dark, and his mobile, and landline phone rang at almost the same time. He jumped up and grabbed his mobile, hoping he would he his wife's voice.

"Hello?" He said.

"Dr McCord. It Nadine. I'm sure you've just seen the attack..." His wife's chief of staff said.

"Yeah. Have you heard anything? Is she okay?" Henry asked.

"I'm afraid we lost contact just as the DA agents began to run with her, I cant tell you if they got out in time, I'm very sorry." Nadine told him, "If I hear anything I'll be sure to give you a call." She told him, and Henry thanked her and put the phone down.

"Is mom okay?" Stevie asked.

"I don't know.." Henry said, placing his fingers over his wedding ring, and silently praying that she would be returned to him unharmed.

The three of them were threw to the ground, along with their security, as the place they just ran from blew up right before them, flames catching onto small bits of wood, and she was slowly picked up by two agents, and rushed to her car, once in it, Conrad looked at her.

"Are you okay?" He asked her once again.

"Yeah." She nodded, catching her breath.

"Are you?" Dalton asked Russell, who just nodded, placing his phone onto the seat next to him as it no longer worked.

"We know you will all want to contact your family but I'm afraid that its not an option, we have no way to safely sallow any calls until we are back onto American Soil." Matt said to them, and they sighed.

"Is there anyway we can let them know were okay?" Elizabeth asked.

"No Ma'am, I'm sorry." He told her, and she leaned her head back.

"Its going to be all over the news." Dalton said.

"Well, it will make for one hell of a surprise." Russell tried to joke, and it worked, and Elizabeth and Conrad both smiled slightly.

It had been hours since he'd last heard anything from Elizabeth, or anything at all to do with her. The news reported every half an hour than non of them had been seen, and that no one had been found from the blown up Embassy, except the body of the man who was the reason his wife was in there in the first place, and that did not help settle his mind.

"Dad, I'm scared. I don't know what-" Stevie said, and Henry's heart broke as she started crying.

"I know you're scared, baby. But everything will be okay, I promise." Henry said, holding her gently.

"Are you going to tell Ali and Jason?" Stevie asked, knowing that they'd kept them away from all things news and media since they'd gotten home, and that they were now peacefully asleep and unaware.

"If we haven't heard anything by midnight then yes, I will." Henry said, and Stevie looked at to see the time was, ten forty five pm.

"She's okay right?" Stevie asked, and Henry nodded.

"I hope so." He said quietly.

Elizabeth arrived at her house at eleven fifty, and she sighed in relief, she couldn't wait to hug Henry, to let him know she was okay, they'd not had the time to call him after landing, as they had to get past lines of cameras unseen, and assure their safety, she wasn't even sure her staff were aware, but all she wanted was her husband. Her best friend. And so she got out of the car and walked to the door, taking a breath as she walked in, and her whole boyd relaxed as she heard him call her, and as he speeded to the door way, she watched his body relax, and before she could blink she was in his arms, wrapped around him tightly, and she rested her head into his chest and wrapped her arms around him, and she began to cry.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, for so many reasons.

"I'm fine. I'm okay." She nodded, and Henry kissed her softly, cupping her cheeks, before gently pulling away, his eyes meeting hers, and he wiped her tears.

"I'm so glad you're okay." He said to her with a smile, and she mirrored it.

"Me too." She nodded, before engulfing herself into his arms again.

"Mom?" Stevie said as she walked into the hallway, and Elizabeth left her husbands embrace to be caught in her eldest's.

"I'm okay, baby. I'm okay." Elizabeth said, holding her daughter close.

"I missed you." She told her mother, and Elizabeth cupped her daughters face.

"I'm not going anywhere." Elizabeth told her, and Stevie nodded with a smile.

And in that moment, the three of them forgot about the ordeal they'd been through, and took inn the moment that not ten minuets ago, they could only have dreamt.


	11. Chapter 11

**Prompt from Daisyangel-Henry and Elizabeth are both sick and the kids take care of them.**

 **Hope you enjoy. Also, ive began to wrote a second chapter to chapter 7, and decided to make it its own little fic, and I need a title! Any suggestions?**

 **Happy reading:)**

The three McCord children looked at each other with raised eyebrows as their parents walked down the stairs, slowly, still in their lazy attire. Their father was rubbing his left eye, looked deathly pale and the bags under his eyes prpved to them that he had barley slept, and their mother walked slowly behind him, thumb and index finger rubbing against her forehead, the same pale skin tone as their father, and they looked at their parents with disapproving looks.

"What?" Elizabeth crocked out, her voice shallow, telling the children she had a sore throat, and definitely a migraine, and Stevie raised her eyebrows at her mother while Jason's eyes followed his father.

"You're both sick." Alison told them, and their parents looked at them.

"We're not sick." Henry said softly, not having the energy to speak any louder.

"Really?" Stevie mocked, and Elizabeth rolled her eyes, which she regretted soon after as it amplified her headache.

"You can't seriously think you can go to work." Jason laughed.

"We're fine." Elizabeth voices cracked.

"Sounds it." Alison joked, and Elizabeth went to speak when Stevie stood up.

"Back to bed." She told them, genrly pushing them both towards the stairs.

"But-" Elizabeth tried, turning around but Stevie pushed her again.

"No buts. I'm sure they can survive without you for one day." Stevie said.

"Okay." Elizabeth gave in, knowing full well she wouldn't be able to get through a full day feeling the way she does anyway.

Stevie opened their bedroom door, and watched as they mumered something to each other as they got back in bed, and she smiled as her mother wrapped herself up in the duvet and her father pulled it over his head, and she closed the door, blocking out any light, and headed downstairs.

"Looks like were the parents today." Ali joked, and her siblings laughed, finishing off their breakfast.

It was noon when Ali went upstairs to see if her parents were awake, half worried, because she'd never known them to sleep this long, half amused, she knows her parents hated being ill, but moslty, it was because they'd made their parents soup, and Stevie had sent her to wake them. She slowly opened the door, crept her head through and found her mother wrapped in a duvet, fast asleep, and her father half under, half over the duvet, and she smiled, jumping slightly when Jason stood behind her.

"Theyre still asleep?" Jason asked, a smirk on his face.

"I think." Ali said, walking futher into the room, and once again, jumped as Elizabeth opened her eyes a little and smiled.

"Hey Noodle." She said, and Ali smiled, and then her father opened his eyes to.

"Hey." He smiled as his younger daughter.

"We made you soup. We know that you make it for us when were ill so we thought we'd do the same." Ali said, and their parents smiled.

"Thank you." Elizabeth said quilety, and as she went to get out off bed, her head began to throb as her headache returned, and her muscles ached, and the same happened to her husband, who sighed painfully next to her.

"We'll bring it up." Ali said, before pushing her brother out of the room.

"Are they up?" Stevie said, and the two siblings nodded.

"They're lazy so were taking it up." Jason joked, and ali playfully hit him on the arm.

"Come on." Stevie said, holding a soup, and Ali grabbed the other one, and Jason just laughed as he went to place the pan in the sink.

As their daughters brought their soup in, the couples heart filled.

"Thank you baby." Elizabeth smiled as Stevie handed it to her.

"This doesn't mean you can start being a diva. You're not getting a bell." Stevie joked, and Elizabeth laughed, and the girls left the room.

"Can you believe they did this?" Elizabeth said.

"We raised pretty great kids." Henry nodded, before placing the spoonful of soup in his mouth.

"Yes we did." Elizabeth said.

The McCord siblings were laughing at something on the TV when a creak from the stairs caused them to turn around, and they saw their parents walking down with the bowls, their mother wrapped in a blanket with one of their Dads jumpers on, and their father in a jumper and joggers.

"Well well well, look who it is." Jason joked, and their parents laughed, shaking their heads as they walked from the kitchen into the living room, and parked themselves inbewteen their babies.

"What you watching?" Henry managed to get out, his voice strained, showing them that his voice has not yet returned.

"Worst moments on live TV." Jason told his father.

"Its really funny." Alison laughed.

"Mom, how are you sat here in a jumper and a blanket. You're boiling." Stevie said as her mothers head dropped onto her shoulder in exhaustion.

"I'm cold." Elizabeth said simply.

"Why are you both downstairs, you should be in bed. Resting." Ali told them.

"We're fine." Henry tried to tell them, but they all looked at him with suspious faces as he spoke in a tone that said differently. Stevie placed a hand on her mothers forehead as her eyes closed.

"You're burning up. Take the blanket off." Stevie said, a half in her voice as she tried to pull it off her mother.

"Cold." Her mother mumbled, and Stevie highed as her mother began to fall asleep, and she placed a hand on her lower leg,selfishly loving that her mother had chose comfort from her, and Henry leaned his head back on the couch with a sigh as he placed both his arms over the younger ones he was in the middle off.

"Is this what its like to have children?" Stevie joked, and her siblings chuckled with a nod.

"Maybe we should make them something else to eat? They've only had soup today and its almost seven." Ali suggested.

"Well, that might prove difficult." Stevie said, pointing to Elizabeth who was lay with her head on her shoulders, and an arm over her middle.

"I'll order something." Jason said, gently getting out of his fathers hold, and grabbing the phone.

When Henry and Elizabeth woke next, they were alone on the couch, and their attention soon went to the kitchen where they heard their children talking.

"What time is it?" Elizabeth asked her husband.

"I'm not sure." He replied.

"You're awake!" Ali said as she walked into the living room.

"There's Chinese on the table." Stevie said, and Elizabeth stood slowly, and laughed as her husband stood and began to walk before stumbling. And the children smiled in their parents direction.

Still as ill as when they woke up, Henry and Elizabeth took themselves back to bed not long after waking from the couch. And when they woke up the next morning, they didn't feel 100% but they felt... more like themselves, and managed to get dressed and get to work.

One week later, the couple looked in the direction of the stairs as their middle child came down them slowly at around twelve pm. The paperwork they were looking through, and the only reason they were awake was placed back on the table as Ali placed herself in between both her parents and snuggled against them both, her head on her dads shoulder, and her legs stretched out on her mothers.

"I went into your room but you weren't there." Ali said, and Elizabeth knew her little girl had caught what they had, as she always became needy and cuddly when she was unwell.

"You feeling okay, Noodle?" Henry asked, and she shook her head, closing her eyes and she placed her hand in her mothers, and Elizabeth and Henry looked at each other, and Henry went to talk when Jason made his way down the stairs, as they both knew he had also gotten the horrid flu they had, Jason sat next to his mother, wrapping his arms around her left one and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Jace, you okay?" Elizabeth asked with a smile, as she ran her fingers threw her almost thirteen year olds hair, as he, just like his sister, became needy when ill.

"Headache. Muscles ache." He grumbled, closing his eyes, and Elizabeth gently kissed her sons head.

"You reckon our nineteen year old will join us soon?" Elizabeth joked, but hoped selfishly, and henry raised his head in the direction of the stairs as the oldest McCord child stumbled down them, and sat next to her father. She was always a daddies girl, especially when she wasn't 100%, and that would never change.

"I'm guessing your ill as well?" Henry said, wrapping an arm around his eldest as she lay her head on his shoulder just like Ali on his other side.

"Its your fault." She croaked, a smile on her lips, and she was asleep soon after, just like her siblings.

"We have three very poorly children." Elizabeth laughed as they sat in a wrapped circle of limbs and cuddles.

"Yes we do." He smiled, and used their spare hands to entwine their fingers, and they were asleep not long after. And the McCord's stayed like that all night. Wrapped up. A family.


End file.
